Rise to the Challenge
by CaptainPrice
Summary: Every trainer has the desire to become the best they can. Tom Sandbourne has made it his goal to become the Pokemon League Champion. Some say third time is the charm, but for him, maybe it's the fourth. I have permission from the artist who drew the picture to use as a cover, I did not make it (credit goes to Hapuriainen of deviantArt.)
1. Welcome to Unova

**Hey everybody, CaptainPrice here with a new story. Bet a lot of you didn't think I'd write something like this, well, guess again! I had a craving to do one, so here it is. This will be an OC story and it will take place in the Unova Region since I believe it has the best potential for a story. I will be incorporating characters from the games and I will use dynamics from both the games and anime.**

**Summary: Tom Sandbourne is a trainer that is seeking a challenge, and that challenge is to become the Pokemon Champion. Ever since his brother Marcus became a trainer, he had the urge to become one as well. Join Tom on his journey as he meets friends, makes enemies, rises to be the best trainer he can, searches for his brother, and maybe just save the world in between. **

**Story Rating: T, may change to M at points**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

The plane was soaring over the ocean and heading towards a large landmass in the distance. On board the plane were a bunch of people going to the land to take care of their business. However, there was one in particular that had a set goal in mind once he got to the region. There was a young man around the age of 17 sitting in the middle of the plane. The boy had unkempt brown hair, pale skin, green eyes, and stood at a respectable five foot nine. He was wearing an olive brown baseball hat, a dark blue t-shirt, dark brown cargo shorts that covered to just under his knees, and brown mid hiker boots.

The boy was currently writing in a journal as he listened to his music. Sitting on top of the boy's shoulder was a small yellow mouse Pokemon with a long black tail and a lightning bolt on the tip. The intercom kicked on and the pilot's voice entered the cabin.

**"Ladies and gentlemen we will be landing shortly. At this time we ask that you put your trays up and your seats are returned to the upright position."**

The boy folded the tray up and tucked his journal away into his multicam backpack. He turned his head back to the Raichu that continued to slumber. Giving a small smirk, he gently poked the Raichu on his paw.

"Hey, Sparks, time to wake up buddy." The boy whispered.

Sparks' eyes slowly opened and it gave a yawn as it stretched out. Sparks jumped off its perch from the shoulder and sat down in the boy's lap. The boy looked out the window and could see that the plane was descending to the water to dock. Water splashed on to the window as the plane landed and continued to move to the docking area. The boy could feel the excitement rising in his stomach at the anticipation of starting a new journey and meeting new trainers and Pokemon. It felt like an eternity to him for the seatbelt sign to turn off. The boy stood up and slung his backpack over his shoulder, Sparks resumed its position on his shoulder.

"We thank you for flying with us today. Before you depart, we ask that we see your ID to make sure we have a confirmed headcount of the passengers." An attendant said.

The boy gave a long sigh as his excitement would be delayed just a little longer. When he came to the plane's door, he pulled out his trainer card and handed it to the attendant. The woman looked it over, gave a nod, and handed it back to him with a smile.

"Welcome to the Unova Region, Thomas Sandbourne." The attendant greeted.

"Thanks, Ma'am. Have a good day," Tom replied, giving a small wave.

* * *

Tom exited the plane and walked across the wing to the dock. He was met with a large harbor and crowds of bustling people. He pulled out a folded up piece of paper and decided to read it again.

_Dear Mr. Sandbourne,_

_I am very pleased to inform you that you are eligible to register to compete in the Unova Pokemon League. Your registration day is on April 16th and you are to register at the Pokemon Center in Accumula Town. Now I know you will be eager to start your journey after that long flight, but I wish to speak to you before you head to Accumula Town. Once you arrive at the harbor, come to the small motel overlooking the harbor and I'll be waiting for you there._

_-Professor Juniper_

Tom folded the paper up and tucked it back in his pocket. His eyes scanned the harbor and they eventually fell on a small motel to the north. He started walking to the stairs and was about to continue, but stopped when he heard Sparks' stomach grumble. Turning to Sparks, he could see him giving a sheepish expression. Tom laughed and walked over to a small kiosk to purchase a snack for his friend.

"What are you craving, buddy? Does an apple sound good?" Tom asked.

"Chu!" Sparks nodded happily.

Tom pulled out his wallet after placing an apple and bottle of water on the counter. The man scanned the items and looked up. His face held a look of surprise and curiosity. Tom placed the money on the counter and looked at the man.

"What's wrong?" Tom asked.

"I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean to stare, but I just noticed the Pokemon on your shoulder," the man answered, pointing to Sparks. "I've never seen that Pokemon before. What is it?"

Tom blinked and raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Raichu was a common Pokemon to every region, so he found it hard to believe this guy had not seen one before. Sparks jumped off of Tom's shoulder and on to the counter to pick up the apple.

"You've never seen a Raichu before?" Tom questioned.

"Oh, so that's what this cute little guy is!" The man said, as he picked up Sparks. "Well aren't you just the cutest little thing…"

"Dude, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Tom warned. "Raichu can shock something with over 100,000 volts of electricity and Sparks is not one to take kindly to strangers."

The man gave a cry of surprise as Sparks enveloped him with an electric shock. When Sparks was done shocking the man, he jumped back on to the counter, picked up the apple, then leapt on to Tom's shoulder. Glancing around, Tom could see some people looking at him with curiosity before continuing with their business. Not wanting to stay and attract further attention, Tom looked down to the stunned man.

"You're insured, right?" Tom enquired.

The man gave a jumbled response and Tom rubbed the back of his head. Pulling out a small wad of cash, he placed it beside the amount he paid for the snacks. Tom picked up his water and continued his walk to the stairs, whistling a rock tune. He ascended the stairs and looked at Sparks who stopped eating the apple and looked at it with some disappointment.

"What's wrong with the apple?" Tom asked.

"Chu," Sparks muttered glaring at the apple.

"Not juicy enough?"

Sparks nodded and Tom's eye twitched. He loved his partner to death, but there were times that Sparks easily ticked him off with the smallest things.

"Well, I bought it, you're going to finish it juicy or not." Tom stated.

Sparks gave him an irritated look. Tom didn't break stride as he stared right back at him.

"Don't look at me like that. Eat your apple," Tom said taking a sip of water.

Sparks gave a groan and continued to devour the apple as quick as possible. Rounding the corner, Tom bumped into someone. Looking at the woman before him, he could tell she was a researcher of some sort. She was wearing a white lab coat, a green skirt, and a white shirt. Unfortunately the woman was shorter than him and the impact knocked her back. Moving quick, Tom caught the woman and pulled her up.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. Are you okay?" Tom apologized.

"That's quite alright, Tom." The woman replied.

"You know my name?"

"Of course I do, silly. I'm Professor Juniper."

Tom scratched the back of his head in embarrassment for not thinking of that sooner. Sparks muttered something, most likely in regards to calling him a moron. Juniper dusted her skirt off and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, aren't you a tall one for your age." Juniper noted.

"Yeah, I ate my green veggies." Tom chuckled.

"I'm sure you did. Now, why don't we head to my lab? I'm sure you want to get started on your journey and we can't do that by standing here."

Tom grinned and gave a nod. Juniper laughed and started to walk over to a small jeep. Tom hopped into the passenger seat just as Juniper closed the door. The jeep roared to life and started moving down the road.

* * *

As the pair of them traversed the road in silence, Tom was taking in the surroundings of the area. There were a lot of trees which reminded him of the forest outside his hometown of Viridian City. He caught sight of a bunch of Pokemon that he had never seen either.

"So, Tom, how do you like Unova so far? I'm sure it must be interesting coming from the Kanto region." Juniper wondered.

"It's pretty interesting. I've been to Johto and Sinnoh, but I have to say Unova looks cool." Tom replied.

"So, do you have any questions?"

"I have one, actually."

"Ask away."

"How familiar are people with Kanto Pokemon in Unova?"

"Ah, now that's a good question."

Tom turned to look at Juniper with interest. He decided to ask that question when he remembered the vendor that Sparks shocked.

"You see, Tom, Pokemon from other regions like Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh are not seen around Unova. The Pokemon from Unova are the only ones that are native here. So it's quite the sight to see Pokemon from a different area that can't be found here." Juniper explained.

"Guess that explains why that guy was so surprised to see Sparks." Tom added.

"Pardon me?"

"Oh, well, there was this guy I met shortly before you that saw my Raichu here. He got a little too close for comfort by picking him up and got shocked."

Juniper gave a hearty laugh at the story and Tom chuckled a little as well. They came to a stop outside a large building. Juniper shut off the jeep and walked over to the building. Tom hopped out of the car and hustled over to her.

"Welcome to Nuvema Town, Tom," Juniper annoucned, gesturing around her.

Tom could see a few houses in the distance and some townsfolk were working in their yards. It was a nice change for Tom to see a small quiet town instead of a loud big city. Sparks was bouncing on his heels as he observed the town.

"Nice place, eh, Sparks?" Tom whispered.

"Rai," Sparks agreed, as he sat on his shoulder.

Tom turned back to Juniper and followed her into the lab. The lab was quite large, filled with computers, machines and other complex devices. Juniper waltzed over to a nearby table and picked up a small device. Tom could see the black colored machine in her hand and immediately recognized it as the Pokedex.

"Now, Tom, as you know, I am a researcher and I am attempting to learn everything I can about Pokemon, correct?" Juniper asked.

"Yeah, and the Pokedex there records information on Pokemon seen and caught." Tom finished.

"Precisely," Juniper beamed, handing him the Pokedex. "Now, the reason I asked you to come here was so I could make a request."

"Request away, Professor Juniper."

"Since you're going to be in the Unova Region to compete in the Pokemon League, I was hoping you would be willing to fill up the pages of the Pokedex while on your journey."

Tom set the Pokedex in a pocket of his backpack and smirked. Juniper felt a grin spread across her face when Tom put the Pokedex in his bag.

"Consider it done, Professor. I'll fill up all those pages. You can count on that!" Tom declared.

"I'll hold you to that, Tom," Juniper said, turning back to the table. "Now, before you go, I have one last thing for you."

Tom held out his hand and Juniper placed a small device in his hand. He clipped the device on one of the straps of his bag.

"That's the Xtransreceiver. With this you can call me and inform me of your progress with the Pokedex. You can also have a conversation with up to three others at once if you wish." Juniper informed.

"Thanks a lot, Professor. I'll keep in touch with you and keep you posted on the Pokedex." Tom assured.

Juniper was about to reply, but stopped when the door to her lab opened. Three newcomers entered the building and were waiting patiently. Tom cocked an eyebrow in interest at the group before him and slowly sidestepped away. From the corner of his eye, Tom could see Juniper looking at them with a grin.

"Ah, I've been waiting for you three." Juniper greeted.

* * *

**Not much of an intro chapter, I know, but this was just to introduce the story and test how well it might do. Believe it or not, you reviewers play a bigger part of the story than you may think. Your reviews are fuel to the writers, so remember that and take that thirty seconds to say something instead of passing it off. Not reviewing can be the biggest insult to a lot of writers because then we are left in the dark on how we are doing and it lowers our morale. Anyway, speak up and say what you think so far. **


	2. Introductions

**Hey all, here's another update for Rise to the Challenge. I'd like to thank you guys for reviewing the first chapter again, you all really made my day into a good one and I cannot think of any words to say that can explain how grateful I am to have such great and faithful reviewers like all of you. Give yourselves a clap on the back or a round of applause for being awesome!**

**Chapter Summary: Tom meets the three newcomer trainers and we find out a little more of Tom's accomplishments as a trainer. And we get to take a look at the first battle of the story.**

**Bold-PA System/Message Bulletins/**

_**Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks**_

_**Bold Italics- Radio/TV/Pokedex Descriptions**_

* * *

Professor Juniper had a grin on her face as she looked at the newcomers before her. She noticed Tom moving to the door to exit the lab but decided to stop him. This would be the perfect time to introduce Tom to some new people and potential friends.

"Tom, why don't you wait for just a little longer? You have plenty of time to register today and I believe this is the best time to meet some fellow trainers here." Juniper insisted.

Tom stopped and gave a shrug. Juniper did have a point and it would be rude to just leave without giving some form of introduction to the others. He turned around to take another look at the three teens that came in just a second ago. His eyes fell on the only girl of the group since she stood out the most.

The girl was shorter than him. She had a red pixie haircut, green eyes and an olive skin complexion. She was wearing a baby blue tee, blue jeans and a pair of black and white tennis shoes. Tom smiled and gave a nod of recognition to her and received one back. He turned his head to observe the second trainer.

The trainer stood just an inch taller than him and appeared to be a hockey fan. The boy had tanned skin, green eyes and a strong build. He was wearing a blue t-shirt with the NHL logo on it, white shorts that had blue strips going down the sides, a pair of blue fingerless gloves with lightning bolts were attached to his side and to top it off he had a pair of sunglasses resting on his crown. As Tom looked at him, he felt that there was something familiar about him and began to wonder if he had met the kid before.

"_He looks very familiar. I just can't put my finger on it,"_ Tom thought, turning to the last boy.

The last boy was just a hair shorter than him and had a medium build. His pale skin was acquiring a tan. He also had messy brown hair and hazel eyes. The boy was wearing a black button up cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up, faded blue jeans, black converse sneakers and a silver watch on his left wrist.

"Well, don't be shy, introduce yourselves!" Juniper beamed.

"I guess I'll be the icebreaker," Tom said, looking at the three before him. "My name is Thomas Anthony Sandbourne, but you can call me Tom or Tommy for short. I'm here to register for the Unova Pokemon League and you can bet that I will be the Champion."

Sparks hopped on top of Tom's shoulder and waved at the three trainers. The boys gave a small wave back at Sparks. The girl, however, tilted her head in curiosity. Tom noticed this and concluded that she must be a Unova citizen with the way she was looking at Sparks.

"I'm Kenta Hammer and I'm a trainer too!" the smaller boy greeted, "I'm here to explore new Pokemon, battle the gym leaders and become stronger as a trainer!"

Tom smiled and gave a nod in confirmation. The second boy looked him directly in eyes and cleared his throat.

"My name is Corey Spina, and I too am a trainer. I'm here to compete in the Unova Pokemon League as well," Corey said, taking off his sunglasses.

Tom, Corey and Kenta turned to look at the girl. She shifted shyly as she thought on how to introduce herself. Finally coming up with her greeting, she looked at the boys and had a confident look on her face.

"It's nice to meet all of you. My name is Eri Summer, I live here in Nuvema Town and my goal is to become a great breeder," Eri finished as she gave a smile.

The four trainers completed their introductions and stood there in silence once again. Juniper took the silence as her cue to speak up and explain what she wanted to talk with them about. She walked back over to the table, picked up three more Pokedexes and Xtransreceivers. One by one she handed a Pokedex and Xtransreceiver to Corey, Eri and Kenta. Using the opportunity, Tom exited the lab and into the bright sunshine. The sooner he got to Accumula Town, the sooner he could finally start his journey. He turned to the north and could see a dirt road leading out of the town. His legs started to carry him to the road, but he stopped when he heard someone call out to him.

"Tom, wait up!" Corey called.

Tom stopped and mentally cursed. At this rate he would be an old fart by the time he could register for the Pokemon League. He wheeled round and found Corey standing before him.

"What's up, Corey?" Tom asked.

"I just wanted to ask you something," Corey replied, sticking a hand in his pocket.

"Go ahead, dude."

"You didn't happen to participate in the Johto League about a year ago, did you?"

"Yeah, I was in the Johto League. How did you know that?"

"I was your opponent in the first round of the final four elimination rounds."

Tom's head snapped up so quick that Corey was concerned he may have broken his neck. Corey felt a smirk grace his face. Tom must have completely forgotten about their match a year ago.

"So that's why you seemed so familiar," Tom said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Wait a minute! You're 'that' Tom Sandbourne?" Kenta asked, appearing from nowhere.

Sparks gave a startled yelp and jumped to Tom's other shoulder in surprise at Kenta's outburst. He gave a glare at Kenta who remained oblivious to him.

"What now?" Tom asked, looking at Kenta.

"I was asking if you were the Tom Sandbourne that finished first for the Johto League," Kenta replied. "So, are you?"

"Yeah, I am."

"You fought Lance after winning the elimination rounds, right?"

"I did after I beat the Elite Four, yeah. The layout for the Pokemon League is that the finalist of the elimination rounds faces the Elite Four and then the Champion. Should the finalist win against the Champion, they take the title and become the new Champion."

"What was it like to fight Lance, Tom?" Corey asked.

"Man, you guys are coming at me like a bunch of rabid reporters with the questions," Tom chuckled. "But being serious here, it was honestly the most challenging fight I had."

"How did that battle turn out? I didn't get to see it."

Tom looked down at the ground and scratched the back of his head. Sparks looked a little disheartened at Corey's question. The pair of them looked at each other and Tom turned to Corey with a satirical smile.

"Mm, not good. I got destroyed," Tom laughed, scratching Sparks' head.

"What was his lineup?" Eri asked as she suddenly popped up.

"If memory serves me right, he had a Gyarados, an Aerodactyl, a Charizard and to top it off, three Dragonites."

Kenta and Corey looked at Tom with shock. It was no wonder Tom lost when he battled Lance. Going against a dragon master with three pseudo-legendary Pokemon was a death wish. Eri still looked confused and was looking to the three boys for an explanation.

"I'm sorry, I'm a little lost. I've never heard of these Pokemon that you're talking about right now," Eri said with a shrug.

"Hey, Eri, hang on a second," Tom replied, kneeling down and pulling his bag off. After a few seconds of rummaging through his bag, his hand pulled out a bigger red Pokedex. "You can have this. It's my old Kanto Pokedex that has the national setting. By national, that means it has Pokemon from other regions listed in it."

Eri's eyes lit up and she took the Pokedex from Tom. She opened it up and a small keypad came into place. She typed in the Pokemon that Lance had, and her smile grew with each new bit of information.

"Thank-you, Tom!" Eri said, bouncing up and down. "This will help me with my breeding studies!"

"Glad you like it. Take good care of it, alright?" Tom replied, pulling his bag over his shoulders.

Eri nodded as she continued to move from Pokemon to Pokemon in the Pokedex. Sparks hopped on Tom's shoulder again and tapped it, to gain his attention. Tom turned to Sparks and saw him pointing to the road.

"I know, buddy, I know. We'll get going now, okay?" Tom assured.

"Rai!" Sparks nodded.

"Wait, Tom, there was one other reason that I stopped you," Corey interjected, as he pulled out a Pokeball. "I wanted to have a quick battle with you."

"Huh? No way! I want to battle him!" Kenta barked as he stared at Corey.

"I got first dibs, Kenta. Besides, I think I deserve a rematch."

Tom gave a cocky smirk as he stared back at Corey. He then looked to Kenta and was about to open his mouth, but stopped when he felt Sparks sending minor volts of electricity into his neck. Sighing at his partner's impatience, he decided to humor him.

"Tell you what, why don't you two have a quick battle and the winner faces me. Does that sound good?" Tom suggested.

Corey didn't look too thrilled about the idea but gave a shrug. Obviously Corey just wanted to have a quick battle instead of having the hassle of battling Kenta as well. Kenta had a grin spread across his face as he turned to look at Corey.

"We'll have a two on two Pokemon set battle. No switches are allowed during the fight." Corey stated.

"You're on, Corey!" Kenta said with determination.

* * *

The four trainers walked over to a nearby open field. Tom and Eri stood off to the side of the field while Corey and Kenta went to their respective ends. Corey pulled out a Pokeball and started tossing it up and down in his hand as he waited for Kenta to select his first Pokemon.

"Ace, come on out!" Kenta hollered, tossing a Pokeball into the air.

The Pokeball opened and a Jolteon stood in front of Kenta, sinking down into a battle stance. Corey nodded to himself and tossed his Pokeball towards the field.

"Crusader, I need your assistance!" Corey barked.

The Pokeball opened and out came a Heracross. Crusader stood in a confident and alert stance as he stared at Ace. The pair of them waited for the first move to be made.

"I'll start then! Ace, let's kick it off with a Quick Attack!" Kenta ordered.

Ace started to run at Crusader before he sped up to the point of being a blur. Corey stood and watched as Ace went straight at Crusader. Just as Ace was upon Crusader, Corey made his move.

"Crusader, dodge and use Horn Attack!" Corey barked.

Crusader dodged to the left and quickly countered Ace using his horn. The attack hit Ace straight in the side. Ace gave a cry of pain and jumped away, glaring at Crusader. Crusader shot at Ace again with his horn ready to strike. Ace took a defensive stance as he waited for the next order.

"Ace, Thunderbolt, now!" Kenta shouted.

"Crusader, block it as best as you can!" Corey called.

Ace released a strong bolt of electricity at Crusader. The attack hit Crusader just as he raised his arms to attempt to defend the hit. Crusader grit his teeth as the powerful volts of electricity coursed through his body. He started to sink to his knees, but was still determined to fight.

"Don't let up, Crusader! Stone Edge, now!" Corey encouraged, as he pointed at Ace.

Crusader's eyes snapped open and he brought his arms back, only to bring them down on the earth with a strong strike. The ground shot upwards and it continued towards Ace. Ace attempted to move, but it was too late. The ground shot up directly under Ace, sending him airborne. Ace hit the ground and tried to get up, but to no avail. He fell to the ground, unable to continue.

"Ace is unable to battle, the round winner is Crusader!" Eri announced.

Corey gave a nod and raised his Pokeball, calling back Crusader. The red beam hit Crusader and retracted him back into the Pokeball.

"Good work, Crusader. Take a break." Corey grinned.

Corey fished out another Pokeball as he watched Kenta recall Ace. Kenta looked at the ball with a comforting smile.

"I'm proud of you, Ace. Take a long rest, okay?" Kenta said, looking at the Pokeball.

Kenta tucked Ace's Pokeball away and pulled out another one. He stared down at Corey with determination. Corey was exceptionally tough and his Pokemon were obviously well trained. Tom was overlooking the match that was carrying on with interest. Both Corey and Kenta were in sync with their Pokemon and were exceptionally good trainers. Although it seemed Corey had the upper hand against Kenta. Tom slowly started to remember that Corey was a strategist and a very good one at that. He was pretty sure Corey would win this round, but decided to see what Kenta had up his sleeve.

"Your Heracross was really strong, Corey!" Kenta complimented.

"Thanks. Your Jolteon was pretty good, too." Corey replied, "Now, let's continue!"

Both of them reeled their arms back and released the Pokeballs.

"Admiral, let's go!" Corey called.

"Stan, it's all you, buddy!" Kenta yelled.

The Pokeballs opened and released two Pokemon. An Empoleon appeared in front of Corey, while a Cubone appeared in front of Kenta. This caught Tom's interest quickly. Cubone was a ground type, while Empoleon had the type advantage being a water and steel type.

"Well, this should be interesting, huh, Sparks?" Tom asked, looking to his partner.

"Chu," Sparks nodded, turning back to the field.

Tom looked at Eri and chuckled as she remained absorbed with the Pokedex and the information it presented her with as she pointed it at the Pokemon in front of her.

"Stan, Bonemerang!" Kenta hollered.

Stan brought his arm back and released the bone he was holding. The bone was soaring towards Admiral's face and would connect soon if Corey didn't do something. Just like before, Corey was prepared for a counter.

"Admiral, Protect!" Corey barked.

Admiral crossed his fins and a small green barrier appeared in front of him. Stan's bone hit the barrier and started to head back to Stan. Kenta pointed directly at Admiral, signaling Stan to run towards him to intercept the bone. Stan did as he was told and jumped in the air to catch the bone before continuing towards Admiral.

"Bonemerang!" Kenta ordered.

Stan released the bone towards Admiral again. Admiral raised his fins again to use Protect. The green barrier once again appeared and deflected the attack. The bone returned to Stan, who was now closer to Admiral. Corey's eyes narrowed as he finally saw what Kenta's plan was. With Admiral being bigger and slower with his attacks and Stan being smaller and more agile with his, he could move quickly inside his guard.

"Admiral, use Brine!" Corey barked.

Admiral raised his head to the sky and shot out a large spout of water. The water quickly fell to the ground and began to pelt Stan. Stan stopped moving to try and withstand the pain. Corey looked at Stan with sharp eyes to try and detect if he was feigning anything. He was so absorbed in watching for Stan's movement, he didn't see the smirk that spread across Kenta's face.

"Admiral, finish it with Brine!" Corey ordered, determined to end the fight quickly.

Admiral once again released a jet of water into the air and Corey nodded as it began to fall towards Stan and Admiral again. As the water was about to make contact, Corey heard something that made his eyes widen in surprise.

"Stan, jump up and use Boneclub!" Kenta barked.

The heavy bone was coming down directly on top of Admiral's head. Corey opened his mouth to try and order another attack, but it was no use. The attack hit Admiral right in the dome and effectively dazed him. Stan hit the ground unable to fight any further. Eri looked at the two Pokemon, then at the trainers. Corey had a satisfied look on his face while Kenta looked a little disheartened.

"This round has ended with Admiral as the victor. The winner is Corey!" Eri announced.

Both trainers recalled their Pokemon to their Pokeballs and gave them praise for a good and interesting fight. Kenta walked over to Corey and held out his hand. Even though he lost, he would always be a good sport about it.

"Good match, Corey." Kenta praised.

"You're not bad yourself, Kenta. Not bad at all," Corey smirked, shaking his hand.

Corey turned to look at Tom, only to find that he was gone. He began to frantically search for his next opponent, but could find no trace of him. Kenta noticed this as well and began to wonder where Tom went.

"Eri, did you see where Tom went?" Corey asked, walking over to her.

"Um, I think he said that he had to hurry to Accumula Town or else he was going to miss his registration window," Eri replied, standing up.

"He ditched us!" Kenta groaned.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to catch him then," Corey sighed, looking down the road. "Troublesome."

* * *

Meanwhile about a mile down the road, Tom started to slow down from his run. Looking at his watch he found he still had an hour to register for the Pokemon League. He looked down at Sparks who was panting lightly from the run. Tom reached into his bag, pulled out some headphones and hung them around his neck. Thumbing through the tunes on his Ipod, he finally came to the selection he was looking for.

Sparks jumped on Tom's bag and climbed up to his shoulder again. He plopped down and began to catch his breath from the fast run. Tom started walking up the hill to get a vantage point and see if he could find Accumula Town. He reached the top of the hill and a big grin spread across his face. A small town stood at the bottom of the hill a mile down the road.

"Sparks, I think it's time to get this show on the road. Wouldn't you say?" Tom enquired.

"Rai!" Sparks agreed looking very pumped up.

Tom's finger pressed play on the Ipod and he started walking down the road. A loud guitar riff burst through the headphones to which Sparks started bobbing his head to the beat. Tom began to sing the lyrics to himself as he continued walking. Turning to Sparks, Tom raised his fist and Sparks pounded it with his own. The sun was now shining high in the midafternoon sky and the two of them had some good rock and roll playing as they continued down the hill. It was looking up to be a good start to a promising journey.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter guys. Hopefully it stood the test of time and that it was just as enjoyable as the first time it was read when the story was up. -CaptainPrice**

**Story Dynamics**

**1.) Evil Team. I think I will use Team Plasma again for Black and White, however, they won't have the same goal they did in the game. They will still be the Pokemon PETA freaks, but they have a different motive instead of getting Reshiram and Zekrom. **

**2.) Anime/Game dynamics: To be perfectly clear, I will not be taking characters from the anime and putting them in the story, so there will be no Team Rocket gags (Jessie, James, Meowth), no Ash and Pikachu, yadda, yadda. I will use the game characters like the gym leaders and the Team Plasma bad guys, Red, Blue, Silver, Gold, you get the idea.**

**3.) Pokemon League Views: The Pokemon Leagues in my story will work like this. It will take both anime and game bits. The anime bit with people making it to the top 20, 15, 10, final 4 eliminations which will be trainer vs trainer. The winner (s) will be the finalist or finalists from the rounds and will continue to go through the Elite Four. If both finalists get through the Elite Four, they face each other to see who goes against the Champion. The winner will face the Champion. Bear in mind that it's still possible for either of the finalists to lose to the Elite Four, in which case either none of them will make it to the Champion, or one of them may make it and the other one doesn't, in that case the guy that made it fights the Champion immediately after the final member of the Elite Four. **

**Story Example: Tom made it through the eliminations as the finalist in the Johto League. He then went through the Elite Four and faced Champion Lance and lost. Even though Tom lost against Lance, he still won the elimination rounds, making him the Johto League winner, he just didn't get to become Champion. So in this story, Lance is still the Champion of the Johto League. **

**Story shoutout**

**I would like to direct your attention to a stroy called "Journey to the Top" by Vnight. It won't be started yet but she's looking to get it started up after she finishes one of her other stories. **


	3. Team Plasma and Battles

**Hey guys, I hope you enjoy chapter three once again. Currently my goal to try and get back up to 71 reviews by chapter 6 is steady, but I can tell sadly that it most likely won't happen as much as I'd like it to. Anyway, give the chapter a read and be sure to drop a review. If you're a repeat reviewer, thanks a bunch for doing so. Take a look at the end of the chapter to see some information.**

**Warning: Since I brought in Team Plasma, I stuck to the scene when they were first introduced in the Black and White games, so when you see it, it'll be just like that. Other than that, everything else is all my idea. There is mild language in this chapter, but nothing too severe.**

**Summary: Tom finally reaches Accumula Town to register for the Unova Pokemon League Gym Challenge. However, before he gets the chance he meets a new face. The mysterious Team Plasma makes and appearance to propose their view of Pokemon and we finally get to see Tom battle.**

**Key:**

**Bold-PA System/Message Bulletin**

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics-Radio/TV/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions_**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I DO own the OCs (Tom Sandbourne and Sparks), the story, and the idea of the story itself.**

* * *

Tom finally reached Accumula Town and felt his excitement grow to a new height as his eyes fell upon the familiar red roof of the Pokemon Center. He could feel Sparks trembling with excitement at finally reaching their destination and grinned at his partner's determination. Continuing to the Pokemon Center, Tom was taking in the sights around him. Accumula Town had a fair amount of skyscrapers towering over some of the smaller housing complexes. It gave him a slight reminder of Celadon City with its big department store and apartments.

Tom rounded the corner and saw the Pokemon Center doors nearby. Not being able to hold it in much longer, he gave a loud whoop in excitement and dashed to the entrance with Sparks hot on his heels. The door opened as the pair of them got within range and they looked around the lobby to find the registration desk. Sure enough, off to a corner to the right was a small desk with a woman standing behind it. Tom hustled over to her, only to come to a grinding halt when a girl came in front of him at the last second, almost having him collide with her.

The girl was a few inches shorter than Tom. She had long auburn hair with light brown highlights that was tied into two pigtails that stopped at her elbows. While she was not exactly the curviest girl Tom had seen, she was without a doubt one of the most physically fit with her muscles being toned. She had a good tan going which brought out her green eyes.

Tom could tell that the girl before him was a tomboy by the way she dressed. The girl was wearing a black baseball cap backwards on top of her head. She also had a black hoodie, grey cargo shorts, grey sneakers, a black band around her wrist, and to top it off, an olive green backpack hung on her shoulders.

Sparks hopped on to Tom's shoulder and looked at the girl before looking back at Tom. As he did this, he poked Tom at the side of the head to gain his attention. When Tom turned to Sparks, he saw him pointing to the girl and then back to him. He quirked an eyebrow as he tried to decipher what his partner was saying. Sparks pointed at the girl again and then back to him. Tom finally caught on and gave Sparks a glare only to receive a cheeky smirk in return.

"If you're saying that's what I would look like if I was a chick, then you're going to get some serious physical training you little turd." Tom hissed.

Sparks turned away from Tom and began having a laughing fit at his master being all irritated. Tom turned away, struggling not to laugh. The girl turned around and looked at him. Tom looked down at her and gave a friendly smile.

"Hi," Tom greeted, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Hello," the girl answered, looking up at him.

"So are you going to register for the Pokemon League?"

"Yeah, I am. Why?"

"I was just curious. You cut right in front of me, so I figured you were in a hurry to do something and this is the desk to sign up for the Pokemon League."

"Well, you're right. I'm here to register for the Pokemon League."

"What's your name?"

"Elliott."

Tom blinked for a second as he heard her name.

"You wanna run that by me one more time?" Tom requested, "I could have sworn I just heard you say your name was Elliott."

"You heard right," Elliott replied, a glare replacing her neutral expression. "You have a problem with that?"

"No, I just thought it was odd because Elliot is a name for a dude and you're a chick. So it just threw me for a loop."

As soon as that last sentence left Tom's mouth, he found himself blocking a punch from Elliott. He caught the punch and looked at her like she was crazy. Her face held one of anger and surprise.

"Now why'd you go and do that?" Tom asked, "I'm sorry if I offended you, but that's no reason for you to try and punch my lights out."

"What the heck? How did you do that?" Elliott asked, with shock.

"What? Catch your punch?"

"Yeah."

"Good reflexes."

Elliott jerked her fist away as she stared at the boy in front her. That was the first time a boy tolerated the power of her hit. She gave a sigh to calm herself down.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," Elliott apologized. "My real name is Charlotte Ellie, but if you call me that, I'll squash you very painfully. Just call me Elliott."

"Yeah, the squash part was accurate." Tom muttered.

"What did you say?"

"I said you're up next."

Elliott turned around and saw the woman standing there looking a little impatient. Her face heated up with embarrassment and she hurried over to the counter. Tom shook his head and turned to Sparks who looked a little disturbed at Elliott's hostility. Sparks turned to Tom and saw him tracing circles at the side of his head with his finger to show his current view of Elliott.

"She's a little crazy, isn't she buddy?" Tom whispered.

"Chu," Sparks nodded in agreement.

Elliott finished filling out the rest of the paperwork and walked over to a small camera facing a wall. Once she got in position, the camera flashed to take her picture and a small click was heard as a Trainer ID exited the machine beside the camera. Elliott picked up her card and exited the Pokemon Center. Tom walked up to the desk to begin his registration for the Pokemon League.

"Name?" The woman asked.

"Thomas Sandbourne," Tom replied, grabbing the nearby pen.

"Alright, I just need you to fill this out and you'll be good to go."

Tom began the tedious and boring task of filling out the paperwork. As much as he hated it, he needed to do it if he wanted to continue his passion for becoming a Pokemon Champion. He dropped the pen on the desk and pushed the form to the woman. She gave it a quick look over and nodded.

"Alright, just head over to the camera there to receive an updated ID and you're all set." The woman said

"Thanks, Ma'am. Have a good day." Tom replied.

Sparks hopped off of Tom's shoulder and over to the camera to wait for his master. Tom stood in front of the camera and adjusted his hat for the photo. Once he was done, the camera flashed and a click was heard as his new ID exited the machine. He walked over to the machine, pocketed his ID and walked over to the exit. Stopping for a minute, he set his bag down and began rummaging around for his favorite shirt. After a few seconds, he finally pulled out an olive snap up button converse t-shirt and grinned. After putting it on, he felt much better.

"Perfect. Now that I've got my swag shirt on, it's time to get going!" Tom grinned.

Sparks hopped on to Tom's shoulder once he had his bag back on and the two of them exited the Pokemon Center.

* * *

Once Tom was outside he began to head to the town's center to find directions to the nearest restaurant for some grub. However, once he reached the square, he saw a large mass of people standing in front of something. He turned to Sparks who looked at him with a shrug. Tom decided he had some time and walked over to see what the commotion was all about. He wormed his way through the crowd a little bit and finally saw what everyone was looking at.

In front of him were a group of people that were dressed in some sort of uniform. The uniform consisted of turquoise gloves, boots and headwear, along with white tabards with a blue and black insignia, black pants and a black long-sleeved shirt. Tom cocked an eyebrow at the bizarre getup that the people were wearing.

"Funky looking clothes, eh, Sparks?" Tom asked.

"Rai," Sparks agreed, looking at each member.

The line of the uniformed group spread open and allowed a man to cross in between. The man himself was dressed oddly as well. He was garbed in some special robes that had the same insignia as the group standing behind him. He had long pale green hair, pale skin, and one visible red left eye. His right eye was being covered by some sort of lens. Tom felt Sparks tense up and growl a little bit. Sparks never gave a growl at a stranger unless he could sense something was off with them.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Tom asked, looking at Sparks with concern.

"Rai," Sparks replied, glaring at the robed man.

_"Sparks doesn't trust this guy. Guess I'll find out why in a second,"_ Tom thought, as he eyed the green haired man.

The man looked at the crowd before him, a condescending look spread on his face. That look alone immediately made Tom feel a deep dislike for the man.

"My name is Ghetsis," the man greeted. "I'm here representing Team Plasma."

Tom's eyes narrowed in suspicion. The news of a new team quickly made him pay attention. Remembering his encounters with random members of Team Rocket and Team Galactic, Tom had the feeling this team would be quite similar to them. Shaking his head, he continued to listen to Ghetsis speak.

"Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokemon liberation." Ghetsis began.

Tom could hear mutters of confusion from the citizens surrounding him.

"Huh?" A man asked.

"Pokemon liberation? What's that?" asked another.

_"What are you clowns up to?"_ Tom wondered.

Ghetsis began to pace up and down between the citizens and the members of Team Plasma. He stopped for a second before continuing.

"I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokemon are partners and that we have come to live together because we want and need each other," Ghetsis carried on. "However, is that really the truth?"

People in the audience began to exchange looks with one another as Ghetsis stated his question. Tom frowned and was beginning to like this guy less and less.

"Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans only assume that this is the truth?" Ghetsis questioned.

Ghetsis walked back to the center of the court and paused again. No one in the crowd said anything as they absorbed what Ghetsis said.

"Pokemon are subject to the selfish commands of trainers. They get pushed around when they are our "partners" at work," Ghetsis stated. "Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?"

Everyone was silent again. By this point and time, people began muttering and some of them seemed to either agreeing with Ghetsis or completely unsure of the topic in general. Tom clenched his fists so hard that they shook.

"Maybe he's right." Said a woman.

"I don't know…" said another.

"Yikes!" shouted a kid.

Tom looked around in surprise at what these people were saying. He didn't believe one word that this guy was saying, but he somehow managed to get through to the others. Ghetsis started pacing up and down the small patch of grass again.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokemon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokemon?" Ghetsis questioned.

"What could it be?" asked a woman.

"Liberation?" a kid wondered.

"That's right! We must liberate the Pokemon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokemon truly be equals," Ghetsis continued. "Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokemon and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention."

With that, Ghetis turned on his heel and the group behind him enclosed him and they walked off down the street. Tom watched them with a sharp glare. He didn't buy their act about Pokemon liberation for one second.

"About that speech… what do you think we should do?" asked an elderly man.

"Liberate Pokemon? That's not even possible!" shouted a younger man.

"I don't know what to believe. I think that he has a point, but then again, it doesn't make much sense." Said a woman.

"Oh, come on!" Tom shouted. "You all seriously don't believe that crap that he just said, do you?"

"Well what do you think, kid?" a man tested.

"I think that guy is a hypocrite! Did any of you see the Pokeballs on his waist or any of his lackeys? He's lying! If he and his group were truly for Pokemon liberation, then why the heck do they have Pokemon, huh?"

Some people exchanged looks. The kid did have a point, but most of them didn't even see the Pokeballs on Team Plasma since they were so wrapped up in listening to Ghetsis' speech. The townsfolk all departed the square, deep in thought about Pokemon liberation. Tom rested his hands on the back of his head as he watched the people leave with disbelief.

"I don't believe this," Tom muttered. "Who would believe that load of bullshit?"

"Chu," Sparks agreed, giving a nod.

Tom sighed and was about to start walking to find a diner to eat lunch, but stopped when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned around and his eyes fell upon a young man around his age. He had pale skin, long green hair tied into a ponytail, and green eyes. He was wearing a black and white baseball hat, grey pants, a black undershirt, a white shirt over that, and green shoes.

"Your Pokemon, just now it was saying…" he began.

"Whoa, slow down man. What are you talking about? What was Sparks saying?" Tom asked.

"Just now, your Pokemon was talking."

"What?"

"Oh? Then, you can't hear it either? How sad…"

"Okay, before you start to creep me out any further, why don't you tell me who you are?"

"My name is N."

Tom looked at Sparks and then back at N. Who in their right mind would name a kid N?

"My name is Tom. I'm here in Unova to compete in the Pokemon League and become Champion. I'm also trying to fill up the Pokedex." Tom greeted.

"The Pokedex, eh?" N asked. "So you are going to confine many, many Pokemon in Pokeballs for that, then?"

"I wouldn't say confine. I'd catch them and let them go just to gain the information. I only take Pokemon that I believe would be a great addition to my family and team."

"I'm a Pokemon trainer, too, but I can't help wondering… Are Pokemon really happy that way?"

N stepped forward and drew a Pokeball. Tom immediately knew where this was going and felt a spark of adrenaline enter his system. This would be his first battle in the Unova Region.

"Well, Tom, is it?" N asked. "Let me hear your Pokemon's voice again!"

N released his Pokeball and a catlike Pokemon appeared in front of him. Tom pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the Pokemon N let out.

_**"Purrloin, the devious Pokemon. Purrloin uses its sharp speed and claws to defeat their opponents quickly."** _Dexter informed.

"Speed, huh? Well, two can play this game!" Tom boasted. "Get him, Sparks!"

"Rai!" Sparks replied.

Sparks jumped off of Tom's shoulder and took a confident pose in front of the Purrloin. Tom and N stared each other down before making their move.

"Purrloin, use Scratch!" N barked.

Purrloin dashed towards Sparks with high speed. Tom kept a sharp eye on Purrloin's distance to make his move. Just Purrloin was within range, Tom barked out his order.

"Sparks, dodge and use Thunderwave!" Tom ordered.

Sparks sidestepped Purrloin and held out his paws towards it. Waves of light shot at Purrloin, but to Tom's surprise, Purrloin dashed back at Sparks again. Thunderwave was supposed to paralyze Purrloin, but for some reason it didn't work.

"Nice try, but Purrloin is immune to paralysis, Tom!" N taunted.

"Well, that doesn't mean it can't still be damaged by electric attacks!" Tom retorted.

Purrloin went in to use Scratch again, but Sparks sidestepped again.

"Sparks, Thunderpunch, now!" Tom bellowed.

"Rai!" Sparks answered, his fist crackling with electricity.

Sparks sent his punch as hard as he could at Purrloin. There was a loud crash and the punch connected with Purrloin's stomach. Purrloin hit the ground and struggled to get back up. It continued to move, until finally, it fell to the ground, exhausting all of its strength. N called Purrloin back, signaling the end of the fight.

"I never expected to hear Pokemon say such things." N murmured.

"Nice job, Sparks!" Tom cheered.

Sparks gave a happy cry and jumped on to Tom's shoulder. That was their first victory of the Unova Region, with plenty more to follow up later. N looked back at Tom and watched his interaction with Sparks. He found it interesting, yet he couldn't understand how a Pokemon could be that happy with a trainer.

"As long as Pokemon are confined in Pokeballs, Pokemon will never become perfect beings," N spoke.

"Nothing is perfect, dude." Tom replied.

"I have to change the world for Pokemon, because they are my friends."

N wheeled round and disappeared into the busy street. Tom scratched his head as he began to wonder what N meant by changing the world for Pokemon. He sighed and rolled his shoulders.

"I don't know about you, Sparks, but that battle worked up an appetite," Tom chuckled. "You ready for some chow?"

"Chu!" Sparks nodded.

Tom embarked down the street to find an eatery to satisfy his hunger, completely unaware that he was being watched from afar.

* * *

Corey, Kenta and Eri entered Accumula Town to continue their search for Tom who had allegedly ditched them to go and register for the Pokemon League. While Corey was a little miffed about Tom breaking his promise of battling the winner, he decided to let it slide since Tom had to register in his time window or else he would't be able to sign up for the Pokemon League. He began to search for the familiar red roof of the Pokemon Center since he and Kenta still needed to sign up for the Pokemon League yet, so maybe they would find Tom in the Pokemon Center resting for a bit.

"Kenta, do you see the Pokemon Center anywhere?" Corey asked.

"No, I don't," Kenta replied, scanning the rooftops. "What about you, Eri? Do you see the Pokemon Center?"

There was no response from Eri, making Kenta and Corey stop. It would be troublesome if they lost her in the city already. Turning around, they saw that wasn't the case. Eri was standing still and looking at the buildings with a blank expression. Kenta, concerned for his new friend, walked over to see what was the matter. Eri didn't spare him a glance when he stopped in front of her.

"Eri?" Kenta asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

Getting no response, Kenta decided to be more vocal.

"Yoohoo, Eri!" Kenta said, raising his voice.

"Huh, what?" Eri stammered, looking down at Kenta and Corey.

"You zoned out for a second," Corey informed. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I just don't do well with heights," Eri replied, shaking it off.

Kenta patted her on the shoulder and gave her a small smile. Corey nodded and motioned for Kenta and Eri to follow him down the sidewalk to an intersection.

"It's okay, Eri. We've all got our fears," Kenta comforted. "I mean, take me for example. I'm afraid of the dark."

Corey let out a snigger from ahead making Kenta turn to him with a glare.

"It's not funny, Corey!" Kenta snapped.

"Oh, I'm going to have some fun with you, Kenta," Corey smirked. "You can count on that."

Corey turned his head and stopped midstride as he finally found what they were looking for. The red roof of the Pokemon Center was peeking out between a pair of skyscrapers. The three of them turned to the square where the could see a crowd of people gathered around something.

"What's going on down there?" Eri wondered.

"We can find out in a bit," Corey answered. "I want to register quick so we can try and find Tom. He still owes me that battle."

Ignoring the mass of people down the road, the trio continued to the Pokemon Center to complete their errands. Upon entering the Pokemon Center, they were greeted with a cool blast of AC, making Kenta sigh in contempt.

"Man, don't you guys feel relaxed when you feel that blast of air conditioning after coming inside on a hot day?" Kenta contemplated.

"I say it feels nice," Eri agreed. "I'm going over to the Poke Mart, do you guys need anything? I can pick it up and you can reimburse me later."

"I'm all set, Eri," Corey replied. "Kenta and I should be done signing up in about five minutes or so. We'll come get you when we're done."

"Okay, see you guys in a few!"

Eri waltzed over to the counter on the opposite end of the building to go and purchase her items. Corey and Kenta walked over to the desk to register for the Pokemon League. As they waited for each person to go through, Kenta spotted the woman manning the desk. She didn't look any older than him and he suddenly had a huge grin spread across his face. Corey noticed Kenta's smile and looked at the woman before turning back to Kenta.

"She's out of your league, Kenta." Corey warned. "Let it go."

"No lady's out of my league, Corey," Kenta replied. "Watch me work my magic."

"Next!" the woman called.

Corey shook his head as he watched Kenta stride over to the desk to register and flirt with the woman. Shaking his head, Corey waited for Kenta to fail in his mission and get a slap.

"Name, please." the woman stated.

"Kenta Hammer," Kenta replied, leaning on the desk to stare in her eyes. "I was so enchanted by your beauty that I ran into the wall over there. So I'm going to need your name and number for insurance purposes."

Corey looked at Kenta in disbelief that he was actually hitting on an older woman. He dragged a palm down his face as he looked at the ceiling.

"Good lord, did he really just use that cheesy pick up line?" Corey muttered to himself, "Epic fail in five, four, three, two, one."

There was a loud slap that echoed around the area and Corey had to try hard not to laugh at his perfect timing.

"I love being right." Corey nodded.

"Security!" the woman shouted.

"And that's my cue," Corey said, hurrying over to the desk.

"Oh come on, baby, don't be like that!" Kenta groaned.

"Kenta, stop talking, you're going to get thrown out!" Corey hissed.

Turning back to the woman, he gave an apologetic look to her as he picked Kenta off the counter.

"I'm sorry about my friend here, Miss," Corey apologized. "He's a little eccentric. I'll get him out of your hair."

Corey gave Kenta a hard push over to the camera so he could get his picture taken for his new ID. There was a large red handprint visible on Kenta's face as the camera snapped his picture. This was going to be perfect teasing material later for Corey and he was going to enjoy every bit of it.

"Name please." the woman requested.

"Corey Spina," Corey replied, picking up the pen.

He filled out the info, set the pen down and gave a wink to the woman before walking towards the camera. The woman's face turned a light shade of pink and he was mentally giving Kenta the victory sign in his head. The camera flashed as it took his picture and a small click came as his ID exited the machine. He plucked his new ID, placed it in his wallet, and walked over to Eri and Kenta. Eri was looking at the red mark on Kenta's face with curiosity and turned to Corey as he came over to them.

"What happened to Kenta?" Eri asked.

"He failed epicly trying to flirt with the woman at the desk." Corey laughed.

"She was coming on to me!" Kenta grinned, glancing back at the woman.

As soon as he made eye contact, he saw her turn to the doors to call for security again. He gave a wave and hurried out of the Pokemon Center with Corey and Eri hot on his heels. Stepping outside, the trio turned to the town square to see if there were still people gathered over there. Not being able to spot anybody, the three of them decided to go and get some lunch before continuing to search for Tom.

* * *

Tom and Sparks were sitting at a small booth inside a burger joint, enjoying their lunch. Sparks was munching down one French fry after another and Tom was biting into his bacon cheeseburger.

"Mm, I have to tell you buddy, this has got to be the best burger I've ever tasted in my life!" Tom said, after taking another bite.

Sparks licked his lips as he eyed Tom's burger. He set it down to grab the ketchup and Sparks used the opportunity to snack on the delicious looking sandwich. However, a bite for Sparks was basically the whole snack. He opened his mouth and devoured the rest of the burger in one gulp. Tom turned around to find his burger gone. He looked up and saw Sparks' cheeks were bloated with food.

"Really, dude? Did you really just eat the rest of my burger?" Tom asked.

Sparks grinned and the munched down burger was displayed in his mouth. Tom's face scrunched up in disgust and he shook his head.

"That's just extraordinary." Tom muttered.

Sparks gave a mad cackle as he swallowed Tom's burger. Somewhere deep down, Tom felt his heart break.

"Well, at least I have this soda to fill the cracks of the heart," Tom sighed, taking a sip.

"A little sad getting worked up over a burger, don't you think?" a girl asked.

Tom looked up and his eyes met Elliott's. He was a little surprised to see her standing in front of him.

"What's up?" Tom asked.

"I wanted to ask if you would be willing to have a battle with me." Elliott replied.

"What for?"

"Well, I watched you battle that guy earlier today and I wanted to see how strong you were. I can tell your Pokemon is strong, but I just want to see how strong for myself."

Tom downed the rest of his drink and stood up. Sparks hopped on to his shoulder, ready for another fight. After setting money down on the table, Tom departed the burger joint with Elliott. He continued following her in silence until they reached the town square where Tom had fought N earlier.

* * *

Elliott jerked her thumb towards the opposite end of the court. Tom nodded and walked to the other end. Once he reached his side, he turned to face Elliott.

"So what are the rules?" Tom asked.

"This will be a one on one battle." Elliott replied

"Fair enough."

Sparks jumped on to the ground and had electricity crackle around his cheeks. Elliott looked at Sparks as she contemplated on which Pokemon she should use. Making her decision, she pulled out the Pokeball and threw it to the center of the square. The Pokeball cracked open and a Pokemon resembling a lizard appeared. Tom pulled out his Pokedex to identify the new Pokemon before him.

_**"Scraggy, the lizard Pokemon. Scraggy has a rubbery elasticity so it can reduce the damage it takes by defensively pulling its skin up to its neck. Scraggy also has a massively thick skull and will use it to immediately attack anyone that makes eye contact with it."**_ Dexter informed.

Tom glanced up at the creature and was able to spot the rubbery defense. When he first saw Scraggy, he thought it was wearing really baggy pants. Tom pocketed his Pokedex and began to focus on the fight about to take place.

"Shade, use Sand Attack!" Elliott shouted.

Shade brought his arms back and swung them with such force that a gust of sand blinded Sparks. Sparks began to rub his eyes and move around, extremely disoriented. Tom gave a small growl at the attack as it managed to hit Sparks.

"Sparks, focus! Use your ears to listen for him!" Tom called.

Sparks stopped struggling to get the sand out of his eyes and stood still. He gave a deep breath and began to heighten his senses to find Shade. Shade was bouncing on the ball of his heel as he watched Sparks standing there in concentration.

"If you won't attack, then I will!" Elliott hollered. "Shade, use Brick Break!"

Shade's hands began to glow white with strength and he ran towards Sparks. Sparks' ears twitched a little bit as he listened to Shade's footsteps quicken. Tom waited for Shade to get close before making his move.

"Now, Sparks! Lean back and use Thunderpunch!" Tom barked.

Sparks leaned back and his tail lowered him to the ground just as Shade sent the attack. With his tail supporting him, Sparks brought his fist up directly under Shade's chin and hit him with a Thunderpunch. There was a loud crash as the attack echoed around the square. Shade was sent airborne and he landed on his feet a few feet away.

"Shade, are you okay?" Elliott asked.

"Scrag!" Shade replied, glaring at Sparks.

"Nice attack, Sparks!" Tom praised. "How're your eyes feeling?"

Sparks shook his head in response to Tom's question. He was still blinded from the sand and couldn't see that well. Shade charged at Sparks to attack him again.

"Shade, use Low Kick and follow up with Payback!" Elliott ordered.

Shade jumped in the air, preventing Sparks from hearing his footsteps. He landed directly behind Sparks and swept his leg under Sparks' feet. Sparks lost his balance and was met with a glowing purple fist to the back. He gave a cry of pain and bounced across the ground back to Tom.

"Sparks, hang in there! Just do what I tell you, okay?" Tom assured.

"Chu!" Sparks groaned.

"What happened, Tom? I thought your Pokemon was strong? Or did he just get lucky against that guy?"

"Don't get cocky, Elliott, this fight is not done yet."

Elliott looked at Tom and could see the serious look on his face. She looked at Shade and pointed at Sparks, signaling him to engage and defeat him. Shade gave a nod and ran at Sparks again.

"Finish it with Brick Break!" Elliott yelled.

"Sparks, dodge it!" Tom barked.

Sparks dodged the attack and turned to face Shade. Shade turned around to try and hit Sparks again with Brick Break.

_"Elliott's too focused on using attack after attack to prevent me from moving against her, if she does that she'll exhaust her Pokemon too quick." _ Tom observed.

Sparks continued dodging on Tom's command and sure enough, Shade was starting to slow down from relentlessly attacking Sparks with little effect. As Shade went to use Brick Break again, Tom made his move.

"Sparks, block now and grab on to Shade!" Tom yelled.

Sparks raised his paws and blocked Shade's attack as it was just over his head. He was struggling to hold back Shade's strength and Tom knew he had to end this now or Sparks would lose. Elliott was shocked that Sparks stopped Shade's attack but smirked when she saw Sparks was slowly being overpowered.

_"This fight is mine."_ Elliott grinned.

"Sparks, end it with Thunder!" Tom roared.

Sparks began to glow yellow and a large lightning bolt fell from the sky, striking the two Pokemon. Shade gave a cry of pain as the electricity shocked him while Sparks absorbed the attack and pushed Shade off of him. The lightning bolt vanished and Shade fell to the ground out cold. Elliott stood there in shock.

"How was that, Elliott?" Tom asked.

"You… you beat me," Elliott said, looking surprised.

"I told you not to get cocky."

"I didn't get cocky!"

Tom raised an eyebrow and gave a smirk. Her face flushed red with anger as she stomped over to Shade and picked him up.

"You just got lucky!" Elliott snapped.

"No, that was just me using your strategy against you," Tom replied, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?"

"I knew I was in trouble when you blinded Sparks, so I had to buy some time to try and find an opening. That's when I noticed that you liked to attack quickly to prevent me from attacking you."

"So how did you turn it against me?"

"You had Shade attack too quickly and that burned up a lot of his energy. I just had to wait for him to slow down to the point I could counter the attack and that's when I had Sparks block Brick Break."

"Oh…"

Elliott hung her head dejectedly and Tom felt some guilt come over him. Maybe that was a dirty trick, but in battles one has to do what they can to counter an attack.

"I should have seen that coming! I never should have done that!" Elliott said in frustration.

"Elliott, calm down, it's alright," Tom assured, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I did the same things you did when I was younger, and I learned from them to better myself as a trainer. That's what you need to do. Take this loss and see what you can do to improve yourself."

Elliott looked up at Tom and gave a nod. Tom picked up Sparks and glanced at Elliott. He sighed and decided to give a proposal.

"Look, Elliott, I have a suggestion," Tom began. "You signed up for the Unova Pokemon League, right?"

Elliott gave a grunt in reply and Tom nodded.

"Well, I did too, so I was wondering if you would like to travel around with me." Tom suggested.

"Why would you offer that?" Elliott asked.

"A journey is always more fun when company is around. Besides, this way you and I can train together and help each other improve with our battle strategies."

Elliott put on a quizzical look and thought about it. It didn't take long for her to think of an answer.

"I'm in," Elliott smiled, holding out her hand.

"Sounds good, Elliott," Tom replied, grasping her hand and giving it a firm shake.

"Hey, don't forget about us!" Kenta cried out.

Tom and Elliott turned and found Kenta, Eri and Corey standing behind them. Kenta's eyes fell on Elliott and he immediately dashed over to her.

"Hey, I'm Kenta!" Kenta greeted. "So what's your name, beautiful?"

Tom shook his head and began counting down from five to wait until Elliott socked Kenta. Retracting each finger one by one, Tom counted down. Five, four, three, two, one, whack! Kenta hit the ground with a large bump on top of his head.

"My name is Elliott," Elliott replied through her teeth.

"Kenta, you can't be forward like that you doofus," Corey muttered, pulling him up.

"I'm Eri," Eri greeted, with friendly wave. "And that's Corey."

"As troublesome as this is, this guy is Kenta," Corey said, pointing at the boy he picked up.

Kenta rubbed the bump he received from Elliott and sent a brief glare at Corey who shrugged it off. Tom gave a wave to greet the three of them again. He quickly noted that Kenta said not to forget them and gave a shrug. It wouldn't hurt to have more company on the trip.

"So when do we leave, boss?" Kenta asked, looking at Tom.

"We can leave right now if you guys are registered and ready." Tom replied.

"Well, since I'm not going through the Pokemon League, I don't need to register." Eri interjected.

"Kenta and I registered before we came to find you, so we're ready to go now." Corey answered.

Tom nodded and turned toward the north end of town. He and his new friends were ready to start their journey.

* * *

**Well guys, I hope this chapter still meets your standards. If not... well...shit. Anyway, that aside, I don't know when I'll update next, but keep your eyes open. Reviewing also helps guys, I appreciate the support you all have given me so far and I hope you still continue giving it to me. The more I get the quicker it makes me want to please you guys with another chapter. **

**Story Shoutout: Take a look at these stories and be sure to drop a review for them guys.**

**"Journey to the Top" by Vnight: An OC trainer fic that is won't be started yet since she doesn't plan writing this until she finishes another one of her stories. Drop in and give it a look.**

**"Through My Eyes: The Unova Takeover" by OwenG2107. This story revolves a trio of friends that receive their starter Pokemon and have to accomplish a great task set for them. I believe it's a good read, so drop in and give him some good feedback.**

**"Pokemon: The Final Battle" by Cyclone20. Story revolves around a group of trainers that will be competing in a tournament to see who is the best of the best. Take a look and give my buddy some hits and reviews.**


	4. I Hate Big Bugs and I Cannot Lie!

**Hey everybody, here's another update for Rise to the Challenge. Thanks again for the support and reviews guys, let's try to keep it as high as we can, so if you haven't reviewed, please do so. Hopefully this chapter stands the test of time like the previous three. Please regard the author's note at the bottom since it gives out shoutouts and some information that I want you guys to consider.**

**Warning: This chapter has some cussing in it, but not over the top.**

**Chapter Summary: The group spends their first night out in the woods on Route Two and begin to learn new things about each other. And the group has a bad encounter with a bug Pokemon. This will be one heck of a first night to remember.**

**Rise to the Challenge Intro/Outro Music**

**Intro- AC/DC (Back in Black)**

**Outro- Van Halen (Human's Being)**

**-Key-**

**Bold-PA System/Message Bulletin**

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics-Radio/TV/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions_**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I DO own the OCs (Tom Sandbourne/Sparks), the story and the idea of the story itself.**

* * *

Tom, Eri, Kenta, Elliott and Corey had been traveling all day along route two enjoying the scenery. Eri was pointing the Pokedex at each Pokemon that she came across, filling up each page one at a time. Corey was itching to get some sleep after walking all day. Although he wanted to battle Tom, he decided to wait until tomorrow when he was fully rested and his mind was sharp. Elliott had a notebook out and was scratching out things and jotting new tactics down while Shade sat in her backpack. Kenta was scratching Ace's head since he let him out of his Pokeball earlier so he could stretch his legs. Tom shielded his eyes as he looked at the sun setting in the sky. They had made great time on the route and could be in Striaton by early afternoon tomorrow.

Glancing at his watch, he decided to call it a day and get camp set up. Sparks gave a loud yawn and Tom smiled as he scratched his head.

"Alright guys, let's call it a day." Tom said. "If we keep this pace up, we can reach Striaton City by tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan!" Kenta grinned.

"Alright, let's ground our gear and get a fire going."

The group set all of their bags at the foot of the biggest tree in the clearing. Eri began digging around in her bag after tucking her Pokedex away and pulled out a couple smaller bags. Corey noticed this and looked at the bags with curiosity.

"What's that you got there, Eri?" Corey asked, pointing at the bags.

"Oh, these?" Eri replied, holding up the bags. "They're mixes for making Pokemon food and I'm going to make some right now."

"Sounds good."

"Corey, Kenta, give me a hand with getting a fire going!" Tom called. "Kenta, you and I will get the firewood. Corey, go and find some rocks to make the pit."

"I'm on it," Corey replied, walking off into the trees.

"Oh, I'll go and get some water!" Eri announced, as she pulled out an empty jug.

"So what am I supposed to do, huh?" Elliott shouted after them.

"Watch the stuff, Elliott!" Kenta hollered. "That way we can find you and we don't have to worry about getting lost!"

With that, Tom and Kenta vanished into the trees with Eri following close behind. Elliott gave a huff and sat down by the bags. On one hand she didn't have to do anything to get the campsite ready, however, she felt as though she was being left out. She shrugged and leaned back against her bag, continuing with writing possible battle tactics for her Pokemon. Corey came back with a couple of rocks and started to form a circle for the firewood.

"Need a hand?" Elliott asked.

"Nah, I've got it." Corey assured.

Corey walked back to the trees to continue looking for more stones. Elliott, wanting to take a break from writing strategies, sat up and placed her notebook back into her bag. As she was about to get up and stretch, her eyes fell upon a lump in Tom's bag. Glancing around and finding that her companions were nowhere in sight, she unzipped Tom's bag and stuck her hand inside. Finding the object she was looking for, she gave a tug. She frowned when she saw that it was just his wallet. Just as she was putting it back, she found Tom's updated Trainer ID.

Elliott knew that the Trainer ID held accomplishments for trainers and decided to take a look at it. Flipping the ID over, her eyes scanned the information on the back and they widened at the information of her newfound friend. Tom had participated in the Kanto League, Sinnoh League, and Johto League in that order. He placed in the 42nd in the Kanto League, 28th in Sinnoh, and 1st in Johto. Elliott was so absorbed in looking at Tom's accomplishments as a trainer, she failed to detect Corey looking over her shoulder and down at Tom's ID.

"That's interesting. He's improved a lot since he started in Kanto." Corey noted.

"I wasn't looking at it!" Elliott quickly shouted, juggling the ID in her hands from being caught.

"Quite the jumpy one aren't you, Elliott?"

"Shut-up, Corey!"

Whack! Corey let out a wheeze as Elliott sunk her fist directly into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He tried to open his mouth and talk but no words came out. Eri had just come back with the water and noticed Corey on the ground. She quickly set the water down and ran over to Corey to see what was wrong with him. Elliott stood up and began to walk towards the water jug whistling an innocent tune.

Eri sat Corey up and patted his back. Corey was glaring at Elliott for dropping him like she did when he was just teasing her. He would have to be more careful around her since she seemed to be the person who didn't take jokes too well.

"Are you okay, Corey?" Eri asked.

"Yeah, just give me a second to catch my breath." Corey replied.

Eri nodded and walked over to her bags that held the Pokemon mix for the food. She pulled out a mixing bowl and a grinder to start preparing the food. Rustling came from the trees as Tom and Kenta came back with Sparks and Ace carrying some logs and sticks.

"That took you two a while." Elliott smirked.

"We decided to get as much firewood as possible so we wouldn't have to run for some until later," Kenta answered, placing some of the logs and sticks in the pit.

Tom, Sparks and Ace placed the rest of the firewood close to the pit for easy access. Kenta hustled over to his bag and fished out some hotdogs, buns and a small tray. Tom pulled out a box of matches and some lighter fluid from his bag to get the fire going. Spraying some fluid on the wood, Tom struck the match and dropped it into the pit. A fire erupted from the pit, emitting a comfortable warmth and light.

"Alright, I got some hotdogs for us, guys. I know it's not much, but this is all we have until we get to Striaton City for grocery shopping," Kenta said, placing the hotdogs on the tray.

"That's fine, so long as we don't have to eat them every night." Corey teased.

"Do not mock the hotdogs!"

"If you two are done, I've finished preparing the food for our Pokemon." Eri interjected.

"Sounds good." Tom nodded.

Eri held up a Pokeball and had it open to release a small blue Pokemon. Tom pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the Pokemon before him.

_**"Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokemon. Oshawott attacks and defends using the scalchop that can be removed from its stomach."**_ Dexter stated.

Corey pulled out two Pokeballs and released Crusader and Admiral so they could eat. Kenta did the same and released Stan from his Pokeball. Elliott let go of Shade so he could get some food and pulled out another Pokeball, releasing it and out came a grey and pink Pokemon holding a wooden post. Once again Tom pulled out his Pokedex to identify the new Pokemon before him.

"You're really filling up that Pokedex, Tom." Corey noted.

"I told Juniper I would and I'm a guy of my word," Tom replied, pointing the Pokedex at the new Pokemon Elliott released.

_**"Timburr, the muscular Pokemon. Timburr always carries a wooden beam. When it can easily lift its heavy burden, it is close to evolving."**_ Dexter informed.

Once everyone had their Pokemon out, Eri began setting small paper plates of the food she made in front of them. Tom, being the curious person that he was, decided to ask Eri what ingredients were in the mix.

"Hey, Eri, what all is in the food you gave to our Pokemon?" Tom asked.

"Well, I try to keep it balanced to make it a healthy meal. So it has the protein, the carbs, and calcium and what not in it." Eri beamed.

"Well, you did a good job because the Pokemon are really enjoying it."

Eri's face turned a light shade of pink at the compliment and she stammered a thank you in response. The group began to eat the hotdogs after Kenta took them off the tray and placed them in the buns.

"I've got an idea," Kenta said, swallowing the food in his mouth.

"Go ahead, Kenta." Tom replied.

"Why don't we talk about our goals?"

"We did that already, Kenta." Corey corrected.

"Not really, Corey. We just gave a brief introduction on who we are and what we came to do here in the Unova Region."

"He's got a point, Corey." Eri added her own two cents.

"Troublesome as it is, I guess we can talk about it."

The group turned to Elliott, which made her stop mid bite of her hotdog. She looked around at them and shifted a little.

"What?" Elliott probed.

"You're the icebreaker, Elliott." Kenta answered. "What is your ultimate goal?"

"Well, if you must know, I'm going to become one of the Elite Four!"

Kenta blinked at the confident response he received from Elliott and could tell she was passionate about her answer. Deciding against teasing her, he turned to Corey.

"What about you, Corey?" Kenta continued.

"I'm in the same boat as Elliott." Corey replied. "I want to be recognized for my skill and strategy and become an Elite Four member for one of the leagues."

"Aw, isn't that cute? You two have so much in common!"

Whack! Kenta rubbed the back of his head as Elliott slapped it hard. He gave a brief glare at the girl only to receive an innocent grin in return.

"What about you, Eri?" Kenta asked.

"I want to become a master breeder, like I told you earlier today." Eri replied. "I've always been fascinated by Pokemon and I want to learn everything I can about them."

"You're up, Kenta." Corey said. "What is your goal?"

"I want the chance to battle a Legendary Pokemon and I remember hearing that the Unova Region has a good amount of Legendary Pokemon deep in the wilderness." Kenta replied.

"Good luck with that." Elliott scoffed.

The group turned to Tom who peeked at them from under his hat. He folded his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky, waiting for one of them to ask the question.

"It's your turn, Tom." Eri informed.

"My ultimate goal, eh?" Tom smirked. "Like I said earlier, I want to become Champion of the Unova Region. But I came here for something else as well."

"What would that be?" Kenta asked.

There was a pregnant pause as Tom sighed to look at the stars.

"I came here to look for my brother, Marcus." Tom informed.

"He's here in Unova?" Corey questioned.

"I got a lead from a friend of mine saying that there was a guy who looked like Marcus wandering around Unova, so here I am."

"Don't you keep in contact with him?" Elliott asked.

"I haven't talked to Marcus in… hell, three years."

Silence overcame the group after Tom said that. It was a shame that Marcus hadn't kept in contact with Tom or his family. None of them expected to hear something like that. The fire started to grow dim and the firewood was running low. Tom gave a sigh and stood up, giving a stretch.

"Let's get ready to head to bed soon," Tom said, yawning. "I want to get to Striaton City tomorrow so I can get my badge run going."

"I hear you on that!" Kenta grinned.

"Okay, I'm going to make one more run for firewood. You coming, Kenta?"

"Right behind you, boss."

* * *

Tom and Kenta departed the campsite and pulled out their flashlights to spot breakable branches. The two of them separated to continue their search, but still stayed within vocal range. Tom suddenly felt the urge to use the bathroom and began to look for a bush to go behind. He spotted a bush about ten feet in front of him and hurried towards it. Setting down his flashlight and firewood, he began to let nature take its course. As Tom was finishing his business, he heard something from in front of him. Picking up his flashlight, he shone it forward and his eyes could make out the form of a magenta colored branch. Squinting a little more, Tom could see that the 'branch' was breathing.

"What the heck is that thing?" Tom asked himself.

Tom pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the breathing creature before him. Dexter kicked to life as it scanned the Pokemon before him.

_**"Scolipede, the centipede Pokemon. Scolipede is highly aggressive and it uses the claws near its neck to dig into their opponents and poison them. With quick movements, it chases down its foes, attacking relentlessly with its horns until it prevails. Trainers are advised not to aggravate this Pokemon as it can lead to a fatal encounter."**_ Dexter informed.

Tom's face went pale as soon as the Pokedex finished identifying the now infamous Pokemon before him. He slowly shone the light on Scolipede's face and could see its eyes were open and it was looking at him from the corner of its eye. If Dexter was right, then he should be fine so long as he didn't attack it or irritate it in any way. Tom started to slowly back up towards his pile of firewood, while staying cognizant of the Scolipede. He heard footsteps behind him and turned around to be blinded by Kenta's flashlight.

"Hey, Tom, are you all set?" Kenta asked, completely oblivious of the Scolipede.

"Shh!" Tom hissed. "Don't be so loud! There's a very big and violent Pokemon in front of us."

Kenta looked around Tom and pointed his light at the area and could see a magenta colored tree. He tilted his head and smirked. That wasn't a Pokemon it was just a dead tree.

"I think you're overreacting, Tom. I don't think that's a Pokemon." Kenta chuckled.

"My Pokedex just identified it as a giant bug Pokemon, Kenta. Just follow my lead and it won't hurt us," Tom replied, slowly stepping around Kenta.

Kenta set down his pile of sticks and moved closer to get a better visual. Tom's face was livid as Kenta completely ignored his warning. Once Kenta got close enough, he could see that Tom was right since he now saw the 'tree' breathing. He turned back to Tom and picked up a stick.

"Tom, relax, it's asleep," Kenta said, reeling his arm back.

"What are you doing?" Tom almost yelled.

Kenta chucked the stick and hit the Scolipede. Tom dropped his bundle of sticks and shone the flashlight on the Scolipede to see if it was looking at them now. The Scolipede's antennas suddenly tensed and its head quickly snapped to look at them. This is where the inner chicken started to come out of Tom. He felt his mouth go dry and he slowly clapped his hands together.

"You know what, Kenta. We should probably go now, because we don't really know what that means. He could be giving us a sign." Tom whispered.

"What would that sign be?" Kenta asked, slowly backing away without Tom noticing.

"Call it an educated guess, but I think he's telling us that we have ten seconds to get out of his face or he's going to eat us."

Tom didn't hear a response from Kenta and assumed he finally got his attention. Little did he know that Kenta was already dashing back to the campsite. Tom kept eye contact with the giant bug before him and started to slowly back up.

"Kenta, on the count of three, we're going to slowly move back to the camp. So let's try to avoid sudden movements or it's going to charge us." Tom whispered.

He turned around and found that Kenta had left him alone with the giant bug. Tom took a deep breath and turned back to look at the Scolipede that was now turned in his direction and preparing to charge. Knowing he had no other options now, Tom started to sprint for his life. He could hear the thunderous trample of the Scolipede behind him.

"Son of a bitch!" Tom yelled.

* * *

Kenta had just finished dashing out of the woods and was panting heavily as he entered the camp. Corey, Eri and Elliott all turned to look at him with amused expressions. Sparks looked at Kenta, then at the forest in concern. He always remembered that Tom enforced being paired with a friend when alone in the woods for protection, and seeing Kenta there without Tom made him nervous. Corey noticed that Tom was missing as well and narrowed his eyes.

"Uh, Kenta?" Corey asked, looking at the sweaty teen.

"Hey, Corey, what's up?" Kenta replied, giving a nervous chuckle.

"Where's Tom?"

"He's right behind me."

Corey cocked an eyebrow at Kenta in confusion. Eri and Elliott walked over to the pair of them looking concerned.

"Are you sure about that, Kenta?" Corey asked. "Because I only see you."

Kenta's face turned pale and realized that his fear completely made him drown out Tom's plan. He ran his hands through his hair as he came to terms with how bad he just made things for his friend.

"Kenta, what happened?" Eri asked.

"Tom and I came across this Scolipede and Tom was convinced it was awake," Kenta began, shifting in his shoes. "So, I didn't think it was and I threw a stick at it."

"Oh, Kenta, don't tell me you woke it up and left Tom there alone?"

"I did."

"Why would you do that? Do you know how violent Scolipedes are when they are angry?"

Eri smacked Kenta upside the head. Kenta didn't protest since he knew he had that one coming. Corey was pinching the bridge of his nose as he absorbed what Kenta has admitted.

"Let me get this straight. You just abandoned our friend in the dark woods to run away from a violent bug Pokemon and basically gave him his death sentence on his first day in the Unova Region?" Corey asked, to which Kenta nodded again. "Kenta, two things. One, epic fail and two, dick move."

The group turned around as the ground rumbled below them and they heard heavy crashes coming from the trees in front of them. They could hear trees breaking and the frustrated cries of a young man.

"Pede!" the Scolipede's roar echoed around the area.

"Rai!" Sparks cried, and dashed off into the trees.

"Sparks, wait!" Eri called out, running after the mouse Pokemon.

"Tom, hang in there buddy! I'm coming!" Kenta hollered.

"So much for sleep." Elliott muttered.

"Troublesome." Corey sighed, running after Eri, Elliott and Kenta.

* * *

Tom dove over another branch and rolled down a small slope. He was cut from the thorns and sticks that he ran through to avoid getting eaten by the enraged bug. There was no way he could continue running any longer. He only had two options, one being that he ran back to the camp to battle the creature, but that was out of the question since he didn't want to endanger his friends. The second option was to take the beating like a man and pray to live. None of them sounded good but Tom quickly thought of a new option when he passed a tree.

His eyes caught sight of a low hanging tree branch and he jumped. He quickly pulled himself up and began to climb the tree to get out of reach from the angry bug. Finally, Tom was twelve feet off the ground and safe in the tree. He gave a triumphant laugh as he smirked down at the Scolipede.

"Denied!" Tom yelled.

This seemed to enrage the Scolipede even more as it started to ram the tree as hard as it could. The tree shook violently with each hit and Tom quickly held on to it for dear life. Through the trees, Tom could hear his friends voices and see some flashlights.

"Guys, over here!" Tom bellowed.

Sparks was the first to arrive on the scene and jumped on the Scolipede and his fist began to crackle with electricity. There was a loud crack as the Thunderpunch echoed around the trees, followed by an enraged cry from the Scolipede. Sparks took the chance and climbed up the tree to Tom.

"Sparks! Oh man I'm glad to see you buddy!" Tom cheered, hugging his friend.

"Chu," Sparks choked out from Tom's grip.

"Wow! Now that is one big bug!" Elliott commented.

"Hey, come and get me!" Corey taunted, throwing a stick at the Scolipede.

As soon as the stick hit the Scolipede, it turned to Corey and glared at him with malice. Corey, not having enough time to call out his Pokemon, did the same thing Tom did and began climbing up a tree. The Scolipede rammed the tree and almost made Corey lose his grip. The others followed Corey's lead and climbed up the trees to get out of harm's way. Once everyone was in their tree, Tom turned to Kenta.

"Why don't you just apologize, dude? Maybe he'll let us off easily?" Tom suggested.

"You think that'll work?" Kenta asked.

"He was being sarcastic, Kenta!" Eri snapped.

"Hey, Scolipede!"

The Scolipede turned to Tom's tree and glared at him again. Tom pointed at Corey and then down at Scolipede. Getting the message, Corey pulled out his Pokeball to release Admiral and end the fight quickly. However, before he could do that, the Scolipede unleashed a String Shot on Tom and successfully blinded him. Tom stood up and started to lose his balance. Corey, seeing what was about to happen, bit his lip and shook his head.

"On a scale from one to ten of pain, this'll be a twelve." Corey muttered.

Tom pulled the last of the sticky string from his eyes just as he fell off the branch. He gave a surprised cry as he hit some smaller branches on the way down. There was a loud crunch as Tom experienced the ultimate nut shot as his crotch slammed into a thick branch, stopping his fall. Everyone turned away and Corey and Kenta squirmed in discomfort as though they felt the pain.

"Oh sweet baby!" Tom yelled in agony, falling off the branch and into a bush of thorns.

"Aw, dang man, right in the jewels…" Kenta squirmed.

Corey shook his head to focus on the situation before him. Admiral came out of his Pokeball and charged directly at the Scolipede.

"Admiral, get him with Drill Peck!" Corey ordered.

Admiral's beak began to glow white as it came down hard on the Scolipede's back. The Scolipede gave a loud cry of pain as Admiral hit it hard with the attack. Admiral watched with satisfaction as the violent Pokemon didn't get up, signaling its defeat. Elliott, Kenta, Eri and Corey jumped down from their respective trees and hurried to Tom.

"Tom, are you okay?" Corey asked.

"Did you really just ask me that question?" Tom replied, standing up with difficulty.

"Well, on the bright side, at least you're still in one piece." Elliott noted.

"Let's get you back to camp, Tom. I can get you patched up," Eri said, putting his arm over her shoulder.

"Hey, Tom, buddy," Kenta chuckled nervously. "Look who's still alive."

Tom said nothing and just kept a smile on his face. The smile made Kenta feel very uneasy. Even though Tom was smiling, it was deceitful since it truly promised pain down the road.

"Kenta, I don't know how and I don't know when, but I'm gonna' tag you back. Count on it." Tom grinned.

"He's going to hurt me, isn't he?" Kenta asked.

"Nah, I don't think he's one for physical violence," Corey answered. "Although I think I should tell him about your phobia with the dark."

"What! No, no, no, come on, Corey!"

Corey laughed maniacally as he hustled up to Tom to check on him. Kenta felt a shiver go down his spine when Corey did that evil laugh. Karma was out to get him and he wouldn't be able to stop it.

_"I hate big bugs."_ Kenta thought, looking back to the Scolipede.

* * *

**Alright guys, that's the chapter, hopefully its standards are still being met, if not, you gotta tell me so I can meet them, okay? We're only two chapters away from being back to where the story was originally before being taken down and then I'll have to start writing the new chapter since I haven't had to write anything since I've just been solely focussed on getting this back to where it was. See ya next time.-CaptainPrice**

**1.) I'm considering making another fic alongside this one that will involve just Pokemon. It'll be a modern day fic that'll be another OC story featuring my character. All I have so far is the fact that it will involve him leading a small Special Forces team, so tell me if you'd be interested in reading that since I may ask to borrow some OCs, but that's not set in stone. I won't go through with it unless I either have support of those that would read it or if I finish another of my other stories.**

**Story Shoutouts: Here's a list of stories that I encourage my readers to read and give critique to.**

**1.) "Pokemon: The Final Battle" by Cyclone20: This story revolves around a group of trainers that have been invited to participate in a tournament that takes only the best of the best. Each trainer has the chance to compete and win the Generation Tournament to be recognized as the best trainer in the world. I've enjoyed the story so far and I'm sure you will too.**

**2.) "Through My Eyes: The Unova Takeover" by OwenG2107: The story follows three young friends on their Pokemon journey as they follow through with an important request from Professor Juniper. Pretty good read, although I know he could use more support from you all, so drop in and say something guys.**

**3.) "Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well.**

**4.) "Hard Time" by The Helpless Romantic: This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot and story line. **


	5. Striaton City Gym Battle Royale

**Hey guys, your Captain is here with another update for "Rise to the Challenge" and I hope you guys really enjoy this chapter since I put A LOT of time into writing it and making it the longest one to date for the story with it being 29 1/4 pages long, over 10,000 words. Take a look at the bottom for notes and story shoutouts guys.**

**Chapter Summary: The group wakes up after the wild night in the woods and head to Striaton City for the first gym of the Unova League Badge run. In that time frame, they learn a little something about Tom that puts a strain on his goal to become Champion of Unova. After arriving in Striaton City, Corey, Kenta, Elliott and Tom give Cilan, Chili and Cress a battle they won't soon forget.**

**Warning: This chapter may contain minor language and other hints, but it's rated T for a reason people!**

**Intro-Back in Black/ AC/DC**

**Outro- Humans Being/ Van Halen**

**Music I suggest you play while reading: **

**Gym Leader Battle: (Gym Leader/Elite 4 theme from FireRed and LeafGreen since I like that one best)**

**Bold- Message Bulletin/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/Song Lyrics/Xtransreceiver Conversations**_

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I own my OCs (Tom Sandbourne and Sparks), the story, and the idea of the story itself!**

* * *

The group had woken up early that morning. Five-thirty to be precise since that was the time Tom set the alarm on his Xtransreceiver. Tom was feeling a lot better from his encounter with the Scolipede last night after getting some sleep, although his groin was still sore from the fall. Putting the pain aside, Tom finished packing the rest of his sleep system into his bag. Sparks hopped on his shoulder and gave a tired yawn. Tom smiled and scratched his friend's head.

"Go ahead and take a nap buddy, I'll wake you up when I need you." Tom said.

Sparks followed his order and quickly shut his eyes and curled into a ball on top of his bag. Tom glanced around at his friends and could tell they didn't look too thrilled about waking up this early to start their walk. Elliott was struggling to keep her head up, Eri's eyes were starting to droop, Corey was shaking his legs to keep himself from falling asleep, and Kenta was snoring. Deciding to wake them up even further, Tom reached into a pouch and pulled out a silver whistle. Taking a deep breath, he blew into it. The loud cry echoed around the wood and made the others jump to attention.

"I know you're tired guys, but if we start moving now we can get to Striaton by midday. That means gym battles and a nice hotel room to sleep in," Tom said trying to motivate them.

"If I wasn't so tired I'd kick you right now, jerk!" Elliott hissed.

"Thanks, babe. Now let's go."

Elliott's face turned scarlet with embarrassment as Tom teased her with the flirt. Corey smirked at Elliott as he gained some new teasing material. He walked up beside Tom to talk with him along the way. Kenta followed suit and stood behind Tom and Corey with Elliott and Eri bringing up the rear. Tom pulled out his flashlight and attached it to the front strap of his bag so it could light the way. The sun wouldn't rise for half an hour and it was still pretty dark. As the group walked in silence, they could hear the rustling of Pokemon running around the trees.

"Hey, Tom, can I ask you something?" Corey grumbled.

"Ask away, dude." Tom replied.

"Are you used to waking up at early times like this?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Is there a particular reason? I mean normal people our age sleep in as late as we can, yet here you are wide awake and ready to go."

"That's a good observation, and yes, the main reason I'm so used to it is because I would get up at this time every day when I was at KNAMA."

Corey's and Kenta's heads snapped to Tom quickly. KNAMA was one of the most well-known schools in the Kanto Region. There was only a few ways to get into KNAMA and you either had to be rich, a genius, or one of your parents had to be a military servicemen.

"How the heck did you get into KNAMA?" Kenta asked.

"Mainly because of my dad," Tom answered. "He is a retired Captain for the Kanto National Army and servicemen are able to put their kids through the school for cheap, so that's how I got in."

"Can someone tell me what KNAMA is, please?" Elliott asked feeling left out.

"Yeah, you three are more informed with the Kanto Region than we are." Eri added.

"KNAMA stands for Kanto National Army Military Academy." Kenta replied.

Eri and Elliott gave a nod to verify what they were told.

"So, wait, shouldn't you be in school then?" Elliott grunted.

"Graduated early." Tom answered.

"Well if you graduated then shouldn't you be commissioned? I thought cadets were commissioned after they finished their schooling and they had to serve two mandatory years?" Corey questioned.

"Like I said, I graduated early, yes. However, you need to be 18 to commission into the Kanto National Army. I'm only 17, so I have one year of freedom before I have to start my service since I'll have to commission with the next class. That's why I'm here to try and become the Unova Champion beforehand."

"Seems kind of pointless if you ask me," Kenta informed. "You'll have to basically step down from your Champion title if you do become the Champion of Unova."

"While I won't be able to hold the Champion position the full year for the next Pokemon League, I can pass the title down and still be recognized as a Champion in the Hall of Fame."

"That's actually pretty smart." Eri agreed.

* * *

The sky began to turn a light blue as the sun started to rise above the trees. Tom turned off the flashlight and placed it back in his bag. The group continued walking down the dirt path enjoying the peaceful early morning until something grumbled. Everyone turned to Tom and saw that his face turned red at being caught.

"Who's up for some breakfast?" Tom asked.

"About time you said something, I'm starving!" Kenta stated.

The five of them sat down in a nearby clearing and started rummaging through their bags for whatever food they had. Tom pulled out a small pack of sausage links and felt his mouth salivate. Kenta managed to find a small box of corn bread mix and Corey fished out a plastic container containing some bacon. Eri pulled out a skillet from her bag after deciding to be the cook for the morning. Elliott had Shade place the rest of the firewood from the previous night into the fire pit. A fire came to life after Kenta dropped the match into the pit.

"So, Tom, while we're waiting for breakfast, what say we have our battle?" Corey challenged.

"How many Pokemon are we going with?" Tom asked.

"Two on two set battle."

"Aw, crap."

"What?"

"I only have Sparks on me right now, Corey. I wasn't allowed to bring more than one Pokemon on the plane over here because of security purposes and the nearest place I can retrieve my Pokemon through the transfer system is in Striaton City."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Unfortunately I'm not, dude."

Corey sighed as he now had to wait even longer for his battle with Tom to take place. This was not turning out the way he had hoped and it was starting to irritate him. Taking his seat by the fire he gave a disgruntled sigh.

"Troublesome." Corey muttered.

"You sure you're just not being a chicken there, Tom?" Elliott teased.

"Hey, don't call me a freakin' chicken! Do I need to discipline you again like I did yesterday?"

Elliott's face flushed with anger and her eye gave a twitch at the little poke. Kenta, however, misunderstood the words Tom said and looked at both him and Elliott with surprise. He wasn't sure whether to be impressed or envious of Tom's accomplishment of getting a cute girl, which made him give his next statement.

"Not even two days into the trip and you've already got a girl wrapped around your finger?" Kenta asked. "Teach me your ways!"

This time both Tom's and Elliott's faces reddened, however Tom's was more out of embarrassment while Elliott's was out of rage. Tom gave Kenta a sharp glare and shook his head in warning. Elliott cracked her knuckles as she advanced towards Kenta with a sinister grin.

"You want to repeat that again you little pervert?" Elliott asked with barely contained fury.

"Mercy." Kenta squeaked.

Wham! Elliott's fist connected with the top of Kenta's head, knocking him silly. She stomped back to Shade and sat down giving a huff at Kenta's ignorance. Shade gave her a gentle pat on the back which made her smile. Kenta sat up rubbing the bump on his head tenderly. Corey smirked and shook his head at the humorous sight before him. Tom was pinching the bridge of his nose, his face still red at the awkward comment from Kenta. While Tom did think that Elliott was cute, she just had a violent personality and that was not something that interested him much in a girl. Eri giggled at the event that had took place as she continued cooking the breakfast. Her friends would definitely make this journey more fun.

"Well, I hope you're all hungry!" Eri announced. "Grab a plate so I can give you the food."

Corey instantly had his plate in front of Eri with Kenta and Elliott following up. Once each of them had their plates full, they began to scarf down the delicious food. Eri noticed Tom didn't take any food yet and placed some food on his plate. She handed it to him and Tom gave a smile.

"No, that's your breakfast, Eri." Tom insisted.

"But you don't have any food yet and there's barely any left," Eri replied, holding the plate to him again.

"Standard military leadership, Eri. A leader always makes sure that his men are taken care of before he takes care of himself. So go ahead and eat."

Eri blinked and sat down beside Tom, filling up the rest of the plate. She handed Tom a plastic fork, making him raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What are you doing?" Tom asked.

"Well, I did say that there was barely any food left if I was to take that plate for myself," Eri began, her face turning pink. "So, I was just, um…"

Tom, getting the message, took the fork and picked up a sausage link. Sparks stuck his paw on the plate and pulled off a piece of corn bread. Tom waited for Eri to take a bite of the breakfast before taking a bite himself. He glanced at Eri out of the corner of his eye and could see the triumphant grin on her face.

"You know, Eri, you didn't have to do that." Tom whispered.

"I wanted to." Eri replied. "Besides, I wasn't going to take no for an answer."

Tom rolled his eyes and continued to eat the meal that Eri had cooked up for the group. Just as Tom and Eri were about to grab another piece of food, their forks made a small screech. Looking down, they could see why. The plate was completely empty and Sparks was lying sprawled out on his back looking bloated. Tom's eye twitched at his greedy partner and he gave a sigh. If Sparks continued to eat all the food like he just did, he would turn into a huge tub of lard.

"Sorry about that, Eri." Tom apologized.

"It's alright, Tom. At least he enjoyed it." Eri giggled.

Sparks gave a loud belch as Eri said that, making the group laugh.

* * *

Tom, Eri, Corey, Elliott and Kenta had been traveling for the past two hours with renewed energy from the breakfast they consumed earlier. They had been moving at a good pace and were bound to reach Striaton City shortly. Tom had his headphones hanging around his neck blasting some rock and roll like yesterday. Corey, Kenta, Elliott and Eri watched with amusement as Tom kept jamming to the music with Sparks doing the same as he walked beside him.

"Do you think he gets a little too absorbed with that music?" Elliott asked.

"Nothing wrong with it," Kenta said. "Plus, it's funny to watch Sparks do that jam."

Sparks had been trying to do some sort of air guitar motion and would give an occasional cry. Tom was bobbing his head to the music and would frequently sing some form of chorus to himself. Corey could hear the speed of the song and could tell that it was fast paced.

Tom finished singing the chorus and his eyes caught sight of tall buildings in the distance. He felt a grin spread ear to ear on his face and he turned to look back at his friends. They noticed his grin and ran up to see what he was beaming about and soon saw the buildings as well. Corey, Kenta, Tom and Elliott were looking at the city with determination and had their fists clenched with anticipation. This was it. This is where their challenge started and nothing was going to stop them from reaching their goals.

"Race you!" Kenta hollered, as he started to dash down the road.

"Oh no you don't!" Elliott retorted, running after Kenta.

Tom, Corey and Eri all sighed as they watched the two competitors race down the road. The three of them continued their walk towards the city. They soon reached the city entrance and saw Kenta and Elliott in each other's faces with intense glares.

"I won, Kenta, quit being a sore loser!" Elliott sneered.

"You won? I won by five feet!" Kenta snapped back.

"Please, don't get so full of yourself!"

"I'm full of myself? You're the one with the huge ego!"

"I don't have a huge ego!"

"Do so!"

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Do not!"

"Alright you two, this is a no contest." Corey interjected. "Now kiss and make up."

Elliott sent a murderous glare at Corey when he gave that remark. Kenta grinned and was about to step forward but stopped when Shade stood in front of Elliott looking ready to attack. He stopped and held up his hands to show he was surrendering and Shade relaxed a little bit, but still continued to glare at him. Wanting to avoid any further hostility, Eri cleared her throat to get their attention.

"If you two are done fighting can you please act your age? You're acting like children," Eri informed, crossing her arms.

"Well we are kids!" Elliott retorted.

"Correction, you're young adults. That started when you turned thirteen."

Kenta scratched his head sheepishly and gave an apology. He wasn't one for acting like that, but being a trainer made him have a competitive personality, even for the smallest things. Elliott huffed and turned away, still frustrated with Kenta and Corey's teasing didn't help much either. With the situation diffused, the group entered the city.

Striaton City was a lot bigger than Accumula Town. There were large buildings for apartments, businesses, and stores. Eri kept her focus on the ground to avoid looking up at the towering structures and tried to see if she could spot a hotel. It would be nice to stay somewhere comfortable rather than on the ground in the woods while they ran their errands in the city. Kenta, Corey and Elliott were looking for the Striaton City Gym to begin their badge run. Tom, however, was looking for the Pokemon Center so he could go and retrieve his Pokemon that he couldn't bring over on the flight.

"Well, I guess this is where we'll split up for now," Tom said, turning to his friends. "I need to run the Pokemon Center to get the rest of my Pokemon and I have to contact my old man."

"I'll try to find us a hotel to stay at," Eri announced, as she started to walk away. "I'll give you all a call if I find one!"

"Well while you're getting your Pokemon, I guess we'll head to the gym." Corey shrugged.

* * *

Tom nodded and gave a two fingered wave as farewell before traveling down the street with Sparks on his shoulder. Eri had also gone, leaving Corey alone with Kenta and Elliott. Giving another sigh, Corey wheeled round and walked over to a nearby newsstand and picked up a city guide. He opened it to determine the location of the gym with Kenta and Elliott peering over his shoulders to see. He found that the gym was almost directly beside the Striaton City Trainer's School. Corey nodded to himself and tucked the guide in his back pocket as he began to walk towards the gym with Kenta and Elliott on his heels.

After a few minutes of walking down the bustling sidewalk, the trio came to a restaurant. Elliott's face scrunched up in confusion and she sent a glance at Corey's back. She thought they were going to the gym, not a restaurant where Corey could stuff his face with food.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought we were going to a gym, not a restaurant." Elliott commented.

"This is the gym, Elliott. If you read the passage in the guide, it'll say that this is place." Corey responded.

"Well excuse me. Maybe if you'd stop hogging the guide I'd be a little more informed then, professor."

Corey rolled his eyes and tossed her the guide with a flick of his wrist. Elliott caught it and began to read the description. Sure enough, the guide said that the gym was in fact a restaurant that was run by the three brothers Cilan, Chili and Cress. Elliott handed the guide back to Corey and started to cross the street to the eatery. Corey shook his head at Elliott's impatience.

"Bright little ball of sunshine, isn't she?" Kenta whispered.

"No kidding." Corey muttered in return.

Kenta and Corey hustled across the road to enter the gym but were stopped when they saw Elliott trying to open the door. She gave a few violent tugs in an attempt to open the door, but each one failed. Letting go of the handle, she kicked the bottom of the door in frustration. A man in his early forties exited the door and looked at the three of them.

"Can I help you?" The man asked.

"For starters you can tell us why the door was locked," Elliott replied, crossing her arms. "We're here to challenge the gym leaders."

"Ah, so you were the one trying to break the door down?"

"No duh, Sherlock. Now let us in!"

"Well, as much as I'd like to, the gym isn't open at this time. The gym leaders have stepped out for a bit to take care of some business."

Elliott's eye twitched in annoyance and she threw her arms up in the air. Corey decided to speak up before Elliott took this one step further.

"Do you know where they might be?" Corey asked.

"I believe you can find Cilan near the Trainer's School. He had to go there briefly." The man replied.

"Thanks a bunch, Sir," Kenta waved, as he started walking down the sidewalk.

Corey and Elliott hurried over to Kenta to continue their search for Cilan. At this point, all three of them were hit with the realization that they had no idea what Cilan looked like. Kenta dragged a hand down his face.

"We probably should have asked him what Cilan looked like." Kenta noted.

"Yeah, I thought I was forgetting something." Corey added.

"Well then we can just ask others if they can describe what he looks like." Elliott suggested.

A teenager with green hair was walking towards them. He was wearing a uniform with a white apron around the front. Elliott hurried over to the teenager.

"Hey, you, can you give us a hand?" Elliott asked.

"Man, she could use some manners," Corey muttered to himself.

"Yes, how can I be of service?" the green haired teen asked.

"I'm looking for the gym leader, Cilan. Do you know what he looks like?"

"I should know what he looks like, because that's me."

"That was convenient." Kenta grinned.

"You're Cilan? Well, could you please go to the gym so we can battle you?"

"Sure. How many of you are there?"

"There are four of us. Our other friend went to go run a quick errand."

"Very well, I'll be waiting at the gym when you're ready."

Cilan gave a small bow and disappeared into the crowded street. Elliott gave a triumphant smirk at finding her target quickly and felt her confidence rise. He didn't look so tough and that alone raised her morale. Corey pulled out his Xtransreceiver to contact Tom and inform him of the gym's location.

_**"This is Tom, leave a message."**_ The voicemail replied.

"Hey, Tom, it's Corey. Elliott, Kenta and I found the gym and its leader. We're heading over there to battle him right now. The gym is inside a restaurant near the Trainer's School. See you in a bit," Corey replied, ending the call.

"Corey, come on! We're going to leave you behind!" Kenta called.

"Yeah, I'm coming, hold your horses."

* * *

Tom was standing in front of the PC at the Pokemon Center to complete his Pokemon transfer. Three Pokeballs appeared in the capsule on the side of the PC. Tom grinned as he picked up each of the Pokeballs and attached them to his belt. Sparks was bouncing happily on his shoulder as he saw some of his former friends arrive in the Pokeballs.

"We got the team assembled, buddy," Tom said, scratching Sparks' head. "Now let's call Mom and Dad. Once that's done, we'll go get our badge."

"Chu!" Sparks nodded.

Tom picked up the Xtransreceiver and dialed his home phone number. The phone gave a couple rings until there was a click. A sweet and kind voice answered the phone making Tom smile a little bit hearing his mother, Alice.

_**"Hello?"**_ Alice answered.

"Hey, Mom, it's me." Tom replied.

_**"Tom! Oh it's good to hear that you're doing okay! How's the Unova Region treating you? Have you made any new friends?"**_

Tom chuckled at the bombardment of questions his mother gave him.

"I'm okay, Mom. I'm actually traveling in a group of people that have become good friends of mine. So far Unova's been great, save for the big violent bug Pokemon." Tom replied.

_**"Not one with bug Pokemon, huh? Well, you know what? Your father won't admit it, but he's a big chicken around bug Pokemon."**_ Alice laughed.

Tom could hear a strong and commanding voice protesting in the background and smirked when he heard another click as another phone picked up.

_**"Boy, don't listen to your mother, your old man is no chicken!"**_ Roy assured.

_**"Roy, if I remember correctly, when you were traveling Kanto as a young trainer you had an encounter with a swarm of Beedrill. And who was it that cried like a baby after getting stung multiple times?"**_ Alice corrected.

_**"Damn-it, woman, not in front of the boy! He's supposed to look up to me!"**_

_**"Excuse me? Woman? I am your wife, I have a name!"**_

Tom's parents would always have some small argument like this and then they would get a little kinky afterword. Not wanting to stay for that bit that would come since it would freak him out, he decided to just give them the standard, "I'm okay, I love you, and I'll call again later." Tom cleared his throat disrupting his parent's argument.

"Well, anyway, Sparks and I just called like you asked to let you know we're okay. I'm in Striaton City now and I'm going to challenge the gym leader for my first badge." Tom said.

_**"Atta boy! You can do it, Tom. This is your time to rise as a champion."**_ Roy replied. _**"Now, I have to pass some information down to you later. I don't have it yet, but if I don't call by seven tonight, I'll call you tomorrow to give you the brief."**_

"Yes, Sir."

_**"We love you honey. Stay in touch and good luck with getting your badge!"**_ Alice concluded. _**"Now, you get over here tough guy."**_

_**"Yes, Ma'am."**_ Roy purred back.

Tom heard one phone hang up followed by his mother giving a startled laugh. He hung up and visibly cringed at what was about to go down on the other end of the line. Shaking his head of the thought, he turned to Sparks seeing that he was fairing no better having heard the tail end of the conversation between Roy and Alice. The Xtransreceiver gave a ping and Tom noticed that he had a voicemail. Dialing it up, he heard Corey's message.

_**"Hey, Tom, it's Corey. Elliott, Kenta and I found the gym and its leader. We're heading over there to battle him right now. The gym is inside a restaurant near the Trainer's School. See you in a bit."**_

Once the message finished, Tom pocketed his Xtransreceiver and dashed out of the Pokemon Center and down the road. He had a mission that needed accomplishing.

* * *

Back at the Striaton Gym, Eri had arrived shortly after Corey, Kenta and Elliott entered. She had successfully found a place to stay at the hotel and felt victorious in getting the last available room for her and her friends. Wanting to cheer on her friends that were challenging the Gym Leader, she decided to go and sit near the spectating area. Elliott, Corey and Kenta were all waiting for Cilan to appear so they could start their battle. A door opened near the kitchen and Cilan walked out with two others around his age. One was sporting red hair and the other had blue hair.

"Ah, good, you're here!" Cilan greeted. "I would like to introduce you to my brothers, Cress and Chili."

"I'm Chili! I like to light things up with my fire type Pokemon!" The red head declared.

"I'm Cress and I'm a water type specialist." The blue haired brother bowed.

"And you've already met me, and if you've figured it out, I like grass type Pokemon."

"Come on, let's get on with it!" Elliott groaned.

"Elliott, be patient," Corey said, sending her a glance.

"Well, I believe I should tell you now that all three of us are the Gym Leaders. However, the way we battle is that we choose who to fight depending on the challenger's type. So, who would like to go first?" Cilan informed.

"I'll go," Corey replied, raising a hand.

"Excellent, now I ask you this, what was the first starter Pokemon you received?"

"Piplup, the water type was the first Pokemon I chose."

Cilan nodded and stepped on the platform while Cress and Chili stepped to the sidelines. Corey's eyes narrowed as he learned how their strategy worked. They would choose the type advantage over the challenger's starter Pokemon, meaning that Cilan's grass type would be the one he would fight. He smirked all the same since Admiral wouldn't exactly be exceptionally damaged since his secondary type was a steel. Corey took the opposite platform and pulled out Admiral's Pokeball.

"This will be a two on two set battle. The match will go until one of the battler's run out of Pokemon. Only the challenger is allowed to switch Pokemon out." Chili announced.

"Let's begin!" Cilan hollered, throwing a Pokeball out.

"Admiral, I need your assistance!" Corey called.

Both Pokeballs opened and released the Pokemon inside. Representing Cilan was a small green monkey like Pokemon. In front of Corey stood Admiral, his strongest Pokemon. Eri pulled out her Pokedex and pointed it at the Pokemon in front of Cilan. Her Pokedex kicked to life and began to brief her on the Pokemon.

_**"Pansage, the Grass Monkey Pokemon. This Pokemon dwells deep in the forest. It shares the leaf on its head with weary-looking Pokemon. The leaves are known to relieve stress."**_ Dexter stated.

Eri beamed at the newfound data that she received and went to work writing it down in a notebook that she had picked up in Accumula Town. Corey and Cilan stared each other down waiting for each other to make a move. Being bold, Corey decided to give the first attack.

"Admiral, use Brine!" Corey ordered.

Admiral raised his head and shot out a glob of water. The water burst in the air and began to pelt down on Pansage. Pansage absorbed the attack, not taking much damage. Cilan made his move next.

"Pansage, Fury Swipes, go!" Cilan commanded.

Pansage charged at Admiral with its claws rearing back to attack. Corey waited and nodded at Admiral to make the move. Admiral raised his fins and a green barrier appeared in front of him, blocking the attack. Pansage leapt back a little bit and waited for Cilan to give another command.

"Vine Whip!" Cilan hollered.

Pansage raised its arms and two long vines extended out and swung at Admiral. One connected with Admiral's stomach and the other with his face. Admiral gave an annoyed grunt at the weak attack. Corey, seeing his chance at stopping Pansage, immediately formed his plan. Admiral glared at Pansage as he tried to anticipate its next move.

"If you won't do anything, I will!" Cilan warned. "Vine Whip, again!"

"Admiral, wait for my command," Corey said, watching Pansage extend the vines.

Pansage brought the vines back and gave another violent swing. As the vines neared Admiral, Corey gave his order.

"Admiral, grab on to the vines and pull Pansage over to you!" Corey barked.

Admiral raised his fin and wrapped it around the vine. He gave a hard tug and Pansage went flying towards him. Corey smirked in victory as he waited for the final attack.

"Now, finish him with Drill Peck!" Corey yelled.

Admiral's beak began to glow white and it came down hard on top of Pansage's head as it was within range. Pansage gave a loud cry of pain and hit the ground. Corey grinned at Admiral and gave him a thumbs up, receiving a nod in return.

"Pansage is unable to battle! The round winner is Corey's Empoleon!" Chili announced.

Corey raised his Pokeball and called Admiral back. He grinned at the Pokeball and the cheers from his friends behind him. Cilan gave a nod and returned Pansage to its Pokeball.

"Good job, Pansage. Take a rest." Cilan smiled.

"You did great as always, Admiral. I'm proud of you." Corey nodded.

"You've done a great job raising your Pokemon, Corey."

"Thanks."

Corey and Cilan both pulled out their last Pokemon and released the Pokeballs on to the field. The capsules opened and revealed the next Pokemon to be used. Cilan had a small dog Pokemon in front of him and Corey had his Heracross, Crusader, in place. Corey had a hunch that the Pokemon before him was a pre-evolved stage of a stronger one, so it shouldn't be able to take a lot of hits.

_"I think this Pokemon may be a normal type, meaning it's susceptible to fighting type moves. I just need to get Crusader in there to use Close Combat and this match is mine."_ Corey thought.

Shaking his head clear, he returned his focus to the match. Corey pointed at the Pokemon in front of Crusader, giving him the order to charge at it. Now was the time to be aggressive and put pressure on the opponent.

"Crusader, get in close and use Close Combat!" Corey shouted.

"Lillipup, dodge and use Bite!" Cilan quickly responded.

Lillipup narrowly missed the large bug Pokemon, and jumped at it with its jaws wide open. Crusader jumped out of the path of Lillipup and charged in again to use Close Combat. This time, his aim struck true. Crusader's fists appeared to be blurs as they unleashed a barrage of fast punches on Lillipup. Lillipup was sent bouncing across the arena and landed in a heap at Cilan's feet, unable to move.

"Lillipup, are you okay?" Cilan asked.

Lillipup's paw twitched but it wasn't able to stand up, sealing Corey's victory against Cilan.

"Lillipup is unable to battle. The winner of the round and match is the challenger, Corey Spina!" Chili announced.

"Excellent job, Crusader," Corey grinned, patting him on the back. "That's how we roll."

Corey and Cilan both recalled their Pokemon and shook hands. Cilan reached into his pocket and presented Corey with a golden badge that looked like a group of connected crystals. Corey placed the badge in his holder and felt a grin spread across his face.

"That was a good fight, Corey. Almost like fine cuisine." Cilan complimented.

"Thank you, Cilan. That was a good fight." Corey replied.

"You're very welcome."

* * *

Corey walked back to Kenta and Elliott, giving a high five to Kenta when he raised his hand. Elliott, wanting to go next, quickly ran to the platform pulling out a Pokeball. Cress took the opposite platform and pulled out a Pokeball as well.

"What kind of Pokemon do you use?" Cress asked.

"I only use fighting types." Elliott replied. "So you guys don't have a type advantage over me."

"True, but it all depends how you raised them. So let's see what you can do!"

"Same rules apply as the previous fight. The fight will go until no Pokemon are available to one of the combatants." Chili announced.

Elliott wasted no time and threw her Pokeball into the center of the arena with Cress doing the same thing. The Pokeballs opened to reveal a Lillipup in front of Cress and a Timburr in front of Elliott. Elliott smirked when she saw a brief look of worry on his face. She knew she had the advantage on this round with the Lillipup being a normal type.

"Stronghold, use Bulk Up!" Elliott ordered.

Stronghold gave a growl and started to flex and roll his arms, pumping himself up. Cress took the opportunity to have his Lillipup attack Stronghold while he was getting ready to attack.

"Lillipup, close in and use Bite!" Cress barked.

Lillipup opened its mouth and clamped down on Stronghold's hand. Stronghold gave a loud cry of pain and began to throw his arm around to shake Lillipup off. Lillipup released its grip on Stronghold's arm only to jump back to avoid the stone beam it was holding. Elliott gave a growl and glared menacingly at the Lillipup. She was going to take this annoying little dog down here and now.

"Use Rock Slide!" Elliott shouted.

Stronghold slammed his beam into the ground and caused part of the floor to break open in large chunks. He stomped on the ground with such force that the rocks shot in the air, only to be met like a baseball to a baseball bat. The rocks soared at Lillipup who had taken a defensive position.

"Lillipup, dodge the attack and get ready use Bite again!" Cress hollered.

"I don't think so! Stronghold, rush him and use Force Palm!" Elliott commanded.

Stronghold crouched down and shot at Lillipup like a bullet. He brought his beam down as a distraction while his free hand began to glow white with power. Lillipup dodged the beam by jumping. However, it jumped directly in front of Stronghold's striking distance. Stronghold smashed his palm right into Lillipup's side, making it cry out in pain from the brutal attack. Lillipup hit the floor out cold, unable to continue.

"Lillipup is unable to battle. The round winner is Elliott's Timburr!" Chili announced.

Cress nodded and smiled at the Pokeball after his Pokemon was returned to it. He was proud with Lillipup's performance and that's all that mattered to him. Elliott hugged Stronghold as he bounded back to her, grinning happily.

"You did great, Stronghold! I'm proud of you!" Elliott cheered.

She raised her Pokeball after hugging Stronghold, calling him back. Elliott felt her confidence reach a new height after gaining the lead in the match by taking out Cress' fist Pokemon while she still had two at her disposal. Cress pulled out a second Pokeball and readied it as Elliott selected her next Pokemon. Elliott looked down at her foot and saw Shade standing there, looking up at her. She gave a nod and Shade hopped into the arena, ready to earn his partner's victory. Cress threw his Pokeball out and out came another monkey Pokemon similar to Pansage, except it was blue. Eri pulled out her Pokedex for the second time since she already spotted a Lillipup on the way to Striaton City.

_**"Panpour, the water monkey Pokemon. Panpour lived in forests long ago, but developed a body that makes it easy to live near water. It can store water in the tufts on its head."** _Dexter informed.

"Hmm, I wonder if there's a fire type version of these elemental monkeys." Eri pondered. "There probably is since there's a grass and water type. So that means that Chili probably has the fire monkey."

Eri continued writing notes down in her notebook as the fight progressed. Shade took a direct hit from Panpour's Water Gun attack and it successfully stopped him from finishing his Brick Break attack. Elliott bared her teeth in anger and made the decision to be more aggressive against Panpour. She was going to win this fight no matter what.

"Shade, blind him using Sand Attack!" Elliott hollered.

"Scrag!" Shade replied, bringing his arms back before swinging them forward.

A cloud of sand went sailing towards Panpour. Panpour opened its mouth and shot another Water Gun attack at the sand, dispersing it. It then dashed at Shade and brought its claws down on him.

"Panpour, hit it with Fury Swipes!" Cress ordered.

"Shade, dodge and block the attacks as best you can!" Elliott responded to Cress' order.

Shade dodged the first swipe of Panpour's claws, blocked the second, and caught the third swipe. Shade saw an opening, as did Elliott.

"Now, Shade, use Brick Break!" Elliott shouted.

Shade's hand began to glow white with power and struck Panpour on its side. Panpour gave a cry of pain, but was met with Shade's Payback attack. The attack hit Panpour across the cheek, sending him to the floor. Panpour struggled to get up and Elliott found the opportunity to finish the battle.

"Finish it with Brick Break!" Elliott barked.

Shade brought his hand down on top of Panpour's head, dazing him. Panpour hit the floor and didn't move a muscle. Chili gave a nod at the fights end.

"Panpour is unable to battle! The round and match winner is Charlotte Ellie Kane!" Chili proclaimed.

"My name is Elliott!" Elliott retorted with anger, hugging Shade as he jumped into her arms.

"My apologies, Elliott."

Cress walked over to Elliott after returning Panpour to its Pokeball. Like Cilan, he too reached into his pocket and presented Elliott with the same badge that Corey received. Elliott held the badge in her free hand and showed it to Shade.

"You helped me get this, Shade. Thank you so much," Elliott smiled, hugging her partner.

Shade reciprocated by hugging back. Elliott shook Cress' hand, thanking him for the good fight and walked off the arena to the spectating area where Corey and Eri were sitting. Kenta took Elliott's position on the platform and readied Ace's Pokeball as he saw Chili take Cress' position from earlier. Cress took Chili's spot as the referee and looked at his brother, then at Kenta to declare the match's start.

"Same rules still apply to this fight like the previous two." Cress informed.

Kenta and Chili nodded, understanding what was to be done during the battle. The doors opened to the entrance of the gym and Cilan had entered. No one noticed he had vanished earlier and began to wonder what he did.

"Don't mind me, I'm just coming back from the Pokemon Center," Cilan waved. "You said that you had one more friend to battle, so I went and had my Pokemon restored to fighting condition."

"Speaking of that, where the heck is Tom?" Elliott asked. "I thought he would've hurried here to challenge the gym by now."

"I'm not sure," Corey answered. "Maybe he's still talking to his old man."

"You told him where the gym was, right?"

"Yeah, I did."

* * *

Back in the arena, Kenta and Chili had summoned their Pokemon. Ace stood strong and proud in front of Kenta and Lillipup stood in front of Chili. Kenta kicked off the match ordering Ace to use Quick Attack. Ace vanished in a blur and appeared in front of Lillipup, hitting it head on. Lillipup skidded back from the hit and jumped at Ace with its mouth wide open. Kenta was about to order Ace to dodge, but decided to use this to his advantage.

"Ace, endure the hit and wait for my signal!" Kenta hollered.

Lillipup clamped down on Ace's shoulder making him wince with pain as the sharp teeth sunk into him. Ace waited for his master to call the shot and finally got the command.

"Thunder!" Kenta roared.

Ace began to glow a dark yellow and crackle with electricity as it coursed through his body. He gave a loud cry as a large and bright yellow bolt of lightning shot up from him. Lillipup immediately let go from the powerful shock and staggered back, trembling from the volts of electricity tingling inside of him. Kenta pointed at Lillipup and gave the last attack order to finish it off.

"Thunderbolt!" Kenta barked.

Ace crackled with electricity again and a bolt of lightning soared towards Lillipup and connected with it. Lillipup gave another cry as it took the direct hit from Ace and collapsed to the ground in a heap. Kenta crossed his arms and smirked, knowing this round was his.

"Lillipup is unable to battle, the round winner is Ace!" Cress declared.

"Good job, buddy!" Kenta cheered as Ace raced over to him and began licking his face.

Kenta pulled out his next Pokeball to start the second round. Chili returned Lillipup to his Pokeball and gave it praise for trying its best. He continued by pulling out a Pokeball containing his final Pokemon.

"Very interesting strategy, Kenta." Chili commented. "You'd be willing to have your Pokemon to take a hit to inflict one back."

"It's effective, so yeah." Kenta replied.

"Indeed it was, but be careful when you do that. You just might turn the fight around in favor for an opponent if you rely on that strategy."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Kenta and Chili tossed their Pokeballs into the arena revealing a red monkey in front of Chili and a Cubone in front of Kenta. Eri and Corey pulled out their Pokedexes and pointed them at the red monkey. The Pokedex kicked to life and began briefing them on the Pokemon it was scanning.

_**"Pansear, the fire monkey Pokemon. This Pokemon lives in caves and volcanoes. When angered, the temperature of its head tuft reaches around 600 degrees Fahrenheit."**_

"That Pokemon's kind of a hothead, huh?" Elliott joked.

"Just like you." Corey smirked.

"Shut-up, Corey!"

Eri giggled to herself as Corey and Elliott bickered with each other. She continued jotting down notes in her notebook about the third and final elemental monkey. Corey and Elliott stopped their fight and began focusing back on Kenta's match against Chili. What garnered their attention was the type disadvantage that Chili had against Kenta. Corey quickly concluded that Kenta was going to win this match, but decided to see what tricks his fellow trainer had up his sleeve and memorize them to come up with a strategy to counter him should they battle again.

"Alright, Stan, use Bonemeraang!" Kenta ordered.

Stan chucked his bone at Pansear and started to run towards it. Pansear narrowed its eyes in observation as both Stan and the bone soared towards him.

"Pansear, use Incinerate!" Chili barked.

Pansear took a deep breath and opened its mouth. A large stream of fire shot out of Pansear's mouth, hitting Stan's bone and sending it back at him. Stan jumped up and caught the bone, narrowly avoiding getting hit by the torrent of fire. He landed beside Pansear and raised his bone to strike.

"Boneclub!" Kenta hollered.

Stand brought his bone down on top of Pansear, but it jumped at the last second, avoiding most of the hit. Stan's bone managed to hit the tip of Pansear's arm, numbing it a little bit. Pansear closed the gap between Stan and himself and brought his claws back.

"Pansear, Fury Swipes!" Chili called.

Pansear began slashing as fast as he could to not allow Stan to attack. Each one of his swipes managed to hit Stan, but it didn't seem to do much damage. Stan glared at Pansear from behind his mask. First it narrowly dodged his attack and now it finished scratching him up. He was going to take this thing down if it was the last thing he did.

"Stan, Bonemeraang again, then charge at him!" Kenta ordered.

Stan did the same thing as before and chucked his bone at Pansear. Pansear had anticipated the attack and was about to dodge again, but was not prepared for the second attack Kenta had planned. Pansear dodged the bone, but let his guard down in front of Stan. He turned his head just in time to see Stan closing the gap with his head aiming at his.

"Stan, use Headbut!" Kenta demanded.

Stan dove headfirst into Pansear's head, effectively stunning him. He picked up his bone and readied it for the final blow.

"Bone Club, now!" Kenta yelled.

Stan jumped up and slammed the bone down hard on Pansear's head. Pansear stumbled away from Stan and tripped to the floor. Stan's visible eye bore into Pansear's back, partially hoping that it would attempt to stand up again, but it never did. Stan twirled his bone in his hand and rested it over his shoulder.

"Pansear is unable to battle. The round and match win goes to Kenta Hammer!" Cress proclaimed.

Kenta gave a loud whoop at being victorious for his first gym battle. He praised Stan before calling him back to his Pokeball. Chili walked over to Kenta and presented him with the Trio Badge. Kenta took the badge and placed it in the slot of the badge container. He shook Chili's hand and thanked him for the battle. Corey, Elliott and Eri walked up to Kenta giving him a congratulatory pat on the back.

"Pretty good fight, Kenta." Corey noted.

"Thanks, yours was pretty sweet too." Kenta complimented.

"Hey, you're forgetting that I could mop the floor with both of you. Be sure to remember that!" Elliott added.

The doors to the center of the gym opened, making the occupants turn to see who the newcomer was. Once the doors closed, the person was identified as Tom with Sparks perched on his shoulder.

* * *

Tom strode over to his friends after spotting them talking with three others.

"About time you got here, granny!" Elliott smirked.

"Good to see you too, babe," Tom smirked back, dodging a punch from Elliott.

"Ah, wonderful, is this the fourth friend you were telling me about?" Cilan asked.

"Yup, this is Tom." Kenta nodded.

Cilan walked forward and extended his hand with Tom doing the same. Tom looked Cilan in the eyes as he shook his hand to display his confidence in his abilities. He nodded and let go of Tom's hand. The gang would switch glances between Tom and Cilan to see how they reacted. Both of them were giving off a positive aura for the anticipated fight.

"Alright, Tom, before we battle, can I ask you something?" Cilan inquired.

"Go ahead, man." Tom grinned.

"What was your starter Pokemon?"

"My partner in crime since day one has been Sparks, here."

Cilan looked at the large electric mouse sitting on Tom's shoulder giving a cocky expression. He laughed when he saw that Sparks was just like his master with the confidence level.

"Very well," Cilan said, as he walked to the opposite end of the arena again. "I will be your opponent. Usually the way we battle in this gym is that the challenger has to face the leader who has a type advantage over their starter Pokemon. And since your Pokemon is electric, my grass types won't be as affected."

"Bring it on, Cilan. I always like a good challenge!" Tom boasted.

Chili retook his position as referee while Tom and Cilan took their respective spots on the field. Corey, Kenta, Eri and Elliott sat in the bleachers to watch the match between Tom and Cilan.

"Anyone wanna make a bet?" Elliott asked.

"I'll take you up on it." Corey agreed.

"Okay, I think that Tom will win the fight, but I believe one of his Pokemon will be either knocked out or disabled from battle."

"I'll take that bet. I think he's going to get through this just like we did without losing one Pokemon."

Elliott and Corey shook hands, eager to see who would win the bet. Tom looked at Sparks and gave a nod, signaling him to enter the arena to battle first. Cilan nodded and threw a Pokeball out, revealing his Lillipup once again. Tom pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the dog Pokemon before him.

_**"Lillipup, the puppy Pokemon. The long hair covering Lillipup's face is an excellent radar, which senses conditions in the surrounding area."**_ Dexter informed.

* * *

Tom pocketed his Pokedex and nodded over at Chili to give clarification on the rules. Chili caught the gesture and cleared his throat to speak again.

"This will be a two on two set battle. Only the challenger is allowed to switch out their Pokemon. The match is over when one of the battlers has no Pokemon left to fight," Chili said, bringing down a green flag. "Begin!"

"Sparks, use Thunderwave!" Tom yelled.

Sparks raised his arms and waves of electricity shot towards Lillipup. Lillipup jumped away and charged at Sparks with its jaws open to bite him. Tom knew that Sparks' static ability had the possibility to paralyze a physical attack, but decided against it since that alone was basically luck.

"Thunderwave again!" Tom ordered.

Sparks raised his arms again, this time the waves of electricity managed to make contact with Lillipup. With Lillipup that close to Sparks and unable to move out of the way, it was a given hit. Lillipup stopped dead and gave a growl as it tried to move. Sparks gave a cocky smirk at Lillipup and started to crackle with electricity.

"Sparks, hit it with Thunderpunch!" Tom bellowed.

Sparks walked over to Lillipup cracking his knuckles and bringing his fist back to channel electricity into it. Lillipup regained some movement and attempted to jump, but it was too late. Sparks' fist crashed right into Lillipup's side, giving a loud crack of thunder as it connected. Lillipup rolled across the field and back to Cilan. Lillipup was able to temporarily break free from paralysis and stood up to fight, but Cilan knew he wouldn't last much longer.

"Lillipup, try and hang on! Use Bite!" Cilan encouraged.

"I don't think so, Cilan! Sparks, use Thunderbolt!" Tom retorted.

Sparks clenched his paws and closed his eyes as his body began to surge with electricity. He opened his eyes and gave a loud battle cry as he released a large bolt of electricity on Lillipup. Lillipup gave a cry of pain as the bolt of lightning struck him and he fell to the ground, too stunned to move.

"Lillipup is unable to battle! The round winner is Tom's Raichu!" Chili stated.

"Yeah buddy!" Tom cheered, giving Sparks a high five as he ran back to him. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"Chu!" Sparks agreed, flexing.

Cilan smiled at his Pokemon's effort as he returned Lillipup to his Pokeball.

"You did your best, Lillipup. Take a long rest, okay?"

Cilan fished out Pansage's Pokeball and looked at Tom with some surprise as he let Sparks stay in to fight. He then remembered that Tom approved of a good challenge and smirked. This would be interesting to see how it would play out.

"Pansage, it's your turn!" Cilan yelled.

The Pokeball opened and the green monkey appeared for the second time that day. Pansage bounced on his heels as he looked at Sparks. Tom observed Pansage's movements and could tell this Pokemon was going to be quite fast. This would be a match of speed and that was something that Sparks had, even if he had a type disadvantage against Pansage. Returning his focus back to the fight, Tom got ready to initiate the next battle with his attack, but Cilan beat him to it.

"Pansage, use Vine Whip!" Cilan ordered.

Two large and strong vines extended from Pansage's head and shot towards Sparks. Sparks crouched down and watched closely for the vines movements.

"Sparks, dodge and grab on to one of the vines!" Tom barked.

Sparks jumped over the vines and his paw latched on one of the vines. The vine wrapped around Sparks' paw and yanked him towards Pansage. Tom bared his teeth, not thinking that Pansage would be that quick to pull Sparks back. Not willing to have Pansage get a hit on Sparks, he made his next move.

"Sparks, juice him with Thunder!" Tom yelled.

Sparks glowed yellow as his most powerful attack was getting ready to be released. He unleashed his attack and the electricity coursed through the vine, making contact with Pansage. Pansage's face scrunched up with pain from the strong electric attack, but it didn't show much reaction to the hit. Cilan nodded at Pansage's endurance as he still held on to Sparks.

"Pansage, use Lick once he's in range!" Cilan commanded.

Pansage gave one last pull with his vines and got Sparks within striking distance. He extended his tongue and dragged it up Sparks' face. Sparks froze from the attack and began shivering as he was grossed out and got a strong case of the willies. Tom's face scrunched up in disgust from the sight, he felt bad for his partner getting a close encounter with an attack like that. Suddenly he remembered the status problem the attack could inflict and looked at Sparks to see how he was holding up. Sure enough, Sparks had stopped moving and shook in place. Tom swore inwardly upon seeing Sparks being paralyzed from the attack.

"Now, use Vine Whip!" Cilan ordered.

"Pan!" Pansage replied, swinging a large vine and striking Sparks across the face.

"Rai!" Sparks cried, as he was sent spiraling towards Tom.

"Sparks, you okay bro?" Tom asked.

Sparks gave a grumble as he twitched in pain and discomfort. Meanwhile in the stands, Corey looked on with surprise while Elliott smirked and turned to see Corey's face, making her grin. She held a hand out and Corey gave a disgruntled mutter as he handed Elliott twenty dollars.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Corey!" Elliot grinned.

"Whatever," Corey replied, returning his attention to the fight.

Tom squatted down and picked up his best friend. Sparks looked upset at failing him and this disappointed Tom greatly. He hated it when his Pokemon felt like they failed when really it was his fault. Not wanting Sparks to feel bad, he gave him the best praise he could think of.

"Sparks, cheer up buddy," Tom said, looking him in the eyes. "You put up a good fight, okay? Don't you dare think otherwise."

"Chu." Sparks nodded.

"You just sit down and take a breather."

Tom set his backpack down and sat Sparks against it. He scratched Sparks under his chin, earning a smile from him. This in turn made Tom smile back at successfully cheering his partner up. Tom turned back to Cilan who had finished giving praise to Pansage for defeating Sparks. Eager to avenge Sparks' defeat, he swiped his next Pokeball out and glared at Pansage.

"Raichu is unable to battle! The second round win goes to Cilan and Pansage! This leaves both battlers with one Pokemon to use!" Chili declared.

Cilan looked back to Tom and felt somewhat unnerved with the look of ferocity on his face as he clutched his next Pokeball. He could tell that Tom was taking the gloves off and preparing to give him an intense fight. Cilan nodded and waited for Tom to send out his final Pokemon. Tom looked at the Pokeball that contained his second Pokemon and smirked. He would end this fight right here and now with his specialist.

"Sully, let's rock!" Tom called, throwing the Pokeball.

The Pokeball opened with a loud crack, releasing Tom's final Pokemon. The white glow finished forming and in its place stood a Typhlosion, or as Tom dubbed as Sully. Sully's most outstanding features were the vertical scar on his left eye and the piece of charcoal dangling from his neck, no doubt to boost his fire attacks. Sully's eyes opened and held nothing but confidence and power as he stared down the Pansage.

"Sully, kick it off with Flamethrower!" Tom roared.

Sully's mouth opened and an intense chain of fire soared towards Pansage. Cilan quickly had Pansage dodge the powerful attack and attempted to hit Sully with a Vine Whip. Key word, attempted. Sully grabbed the vine and had a sinister grin spread across his face as he stared down at Pansage. He tossed Pansage away to throw him off balance.

"Hit him with Flame Wheel, Sully!" Tom barked.

Sully gave a cry back in acknowledgement and began to coat himself in a searing blaze. He started running towards Pansage and began rolling at him in a ball. Pansage stood his ground and waited for Cilan to give the order to attack.

"Pansage, try and knock him off course with Vine Whip!" Cilan hollered.

Pansage sent his powerful vines at Sully and whipped him in the side. The attack did nothing and Sully crashed into Pansage, giving him the full blast of the attack. Pansage gave a pained cry as he was launched airborne from the attack, still trying to recover from the hit. Tom had Sully follow up with Flamethrower. However, gravity was pulling Pansage down too fast which made the attack miss. Pansage landed on his feet with pain and burns from Sully's strong attack. Cilan had to make a move now if he wanted to try and stop Tom.

"Pansage, charge in and use Fury Swipes." Cilan ordered.

"Sully, don't let that joker get close! Use Flamethrower on him!" Tom countered.

Sully gave another roar and sent one Flamethrower after another at Pansage. Pansage managed to narrowly dodge each of the fire attacks and was now upon Sully. Pansage began to slash down on Sully with as much power as he could, hitting Sully again and again. As Pansage continued his assault on Sully, he unwittingly awakened Sully's anger. Sully gave a ferocious growl as he glared with malice down at Pansage. Everyone watched with interest as the flames around Sully's neck began to glow blue. Tom smirked at Sully's blaze ability kicking in and prepared to unleash the final attack.

"Sully, finish it with Lava Plume!" Tom roared again.

Sully's eyes began to glow red and the blue flames grew to new levels of heat. He crossed his arms as he got ready to release the awesome power. Cilan, knowing he had to get Pansage out of the blast radius soon, quickly told him to back away. However, that was not meant to be. Sully finished storing his energy and looked towards the ceiling giving a strong cry. A blue liquid fire burst out from Sully's body, creating a large heat wave. The blue fire engulfed Pansage, blocking him from view.

"Pansage, no!" Cilan cried.

The flames around Pansage vanished, revealing a charred Pansage out cold on the ground. Pansage gave a cough and spat out some soot from the attack. Cilan gave a sigh of relief as Pansage was still okay from the overkill attack. Chili was astounded at the power Tom's Typhlosion displayed during the fight and had to admit that he knew how to use a fire Pokemon's strength. Realizing that he had to conclude the match, he cleared his throat.

"Pansage is unable to battle! The round and match winner is Tom Sandbourne!" Chili announced.

* * *

Sully gave a grunt and spat out a flame in satisfaction. He walked back to Tom and gave a grin as Tom hugged him for his performance. Sully hugged back and patted Sparks on the head as he managed to finally shake off the paralysis and celebrate the victory. Cilan walked over after calling Pansage back to his Pokeball smiling broadly. Tom sheepishly rubbed the back of his head for going overboard on the poor Pansage.

"Hey, Cilan, is Pansage okay? I know I probably went too far with that attack." Tom said, looking guilty.

"No, it's alright. He's okay, he just needs to get some rest and he'll be back to normal in no time." Cilan assured.

Kenta, Corey, Eri and Elliott walked on to the arena to congratulate Tom on his victory. Elliott was smirking, no doubt happy that she could gloat about getting through her fight without losing any of her Pokemon. Corey and Kenta were inspecting Sully who was looking at them closely with narrowed eyes. While Sully enjoyed attention, he only liked receiving it from people he knew so he kept a close eye on the two observing him.

"Holy cow, Tom. Your Typhlosion is a powerhouse." Kenta complimented.

"Thanks, Kenta. He's my specialist, so he will have strong attacks." Tom replied.

"Still no match against Admiral." Corey smirked.

"You challenging me, dude?"

"That's what I've been waiting for since yesterday."

"Oh, it's on man. Right when we're rested up, you're going down."

Cilan, Chili and Cress stood in front of the group, presenting the Trio Badge to Tom. Tom accepted the badge and gave a broad grin as he showed it to Sparks and Sully. He put a hand on both of his Pokemon before showing them the badge again.

"This victory belongs to you two. You both made this possible and I couldn't be more proud of you as I am right now." Tom grinned.

Sparks beamed and channeled some electricity into his paw while Sully breathed fire on his. Tom raised both of his fists and received a fist bump from his two friends, giving a light twitch from the pain on Sully's hot punch.

"On behalf of the three of us here at Striaton Gym, we would like to thank all four of you for the spectacular battles. Not only did you all show passion in your fights, you showed your Pokemon that you trusted them with your heart." Cress bowed.

"No doubt about it, you four were definitely the strongest trainers we have fought so far. And I'm glad that you gave us all a good fight. Be sure to check the statue at the entrance for a little surprise." Chili added.

"I agree with my brothers. I would be honored if all of you would come taste some of our fine cuisine before you leave the city." Cilan offered.

"Definitely," Kenta agreed. "We would love some good food after that battle and I'm pretty sure Eri wouldn't mind after cooking this morning."

"Not at all," Eri nodded. "I'd love to try some of your food before leaving. Maybe you'd be willing to share some recipes as well?"

"We'll see." Cilan nodded.

The group nodded and thanked the brothers for the battle and inviting them to eat at the restaurant later. As they were about to leave, Tom looked at the statue that Chili pointed out earlier. Corey, Kenta, Elliott and Tom scanned the statue and grinned at what they saw on the plates.

**Striaton City Gym**

**Gym Leaders: Cilan, Chili and Cress**

**Certified Trainers:**

**Corey Spina**

**Charlotte "Elliott" Ellie Kane**

**Kenta Hammer**

**Thomas Sandbourne**

The four of them exchanged faces of pride and fist bumps at their completed accomplishment. All of them managed to receive the Trio Badge and were invited to eat at the restaurant they battled at. Things were really beginning to look up for the gang and that alone boosted their morale to a new level.

* * *

**Sweet lord, you've made it through the chapter! Well, as I said earlier, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that it stood the test of time like the previous four. Please review guys, I feel I deserve some feedback for this long and awesome chapter. **

**1.) I know that this chapter was redundant with the gym leader battles and I apologize for that. However, I did this to avoid double/triple battles because that was a giant clusterf*ck waiting to happen. You've got six trainers and six pokemon making twelve characters and putting them all battle at once would be too much work and it would be easy to get lost and confused in my mind so I took the path of least resistance. I know I also had the Gym Pokemon weak, but that'll change when Lenora comes into the picture and I'll make the Pokemon stronger and the battles will be more interesting. (Thanks again Cyclone20 for bringing that up before the story was brought down after chapter six. I'll definitely take your advice to heart.) **

**2.) Tom's mother in the story. That was not originally her name. I had her name as Ashley at first, but I changed it since I thought some people may have brought up the fact that it's basically a feminine name for Ash as a girl so I wanted to avoid that.**

**3.) I hope I did a good job with the battles and that I gave each OC a good amount of screentime for their fights against Cilan, Cress and Chili. I believe I had about two and half to three pages for each person. I tried to keep Tom out of the chapter for a good amount since I believe he had too much screentime.**

**4.) You have just been introduced to Tom's second Pokemon, Sully the Typhlosion. You'll see his other two later since I don't want to introduce all of them off the bat. Anyway, if you guys can guess where I got Typhlosion's nickname, you'll get a treat, so post your answer in your review if you want to take a stab at it. I can't give you guys the hint because it will make the question too easy, so good luck. I'll announce where I got it from next chapter. **

**Pokemon Story Shoutouts: Definitely read and review these stories guys. They deserve it and not only can they help the authors improve, it makes them feel accomplished. So do NOT ignore them after reading the chapters, drop a review.**

**"Journey to the Top" by Vnight.**

**This is an OC story that she will be writing after she finishes one of her other stories and I can tell that it will be promising. **

**"Through My Eyes: The Unova Takeover" by OwenG2107**

**This is an OC trainer story based on Owen's OC Alexander. It revolves around him and his two best friends Conley and Lana going on a journey at Professor Juniper's request. I'd tell you more, but you should go and give it a look for yourself. And guys, give constructive feedback for him. He's working hard on the story and deserves more reviews than he has, so get out of your "Too lazy to sign in" funk and give him something, and don't go flaming him, that's weak. **

**"Pokemon: The Final Battle" by Cyclone20: This story is focussed on a bunch of trainers that have been selected to participate in the Generation's Tournament. A place only for the best of the best trainers. Second chapter is currently up with more epicness to follow as the story rolls on. Drop in and give a review. **

**"Spiritual Bonds" by Whisper to the Moon: A story that is following a group of humans with souls of Pokemon. This story just started and has lots of potential. It's quickly becomming one of a few stories starting to emerge with humans having Pokemon powers/abilities and what not and I believe it's a good read. Drop in and give some constructive feedback.**

**"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well.**

**"Hard Time" by The Helpless Romantic: This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot and story line.**


	6. Rivals

**Hey guys CaptainPrice here wishing you all a happy Friday and feeling accomplished... for the most part. Well, we're finally here. We've arrived back to chapter six, and almost made it back to 71 reviews like I hoped, just need 9 more to get there. Anyway, this is the last chapter I had in the doc manager and I haven't written anything since the story was taken down by the FanFiction 5-0. So expect a new chapter next week possibly. I left the Memorial Day shoutout in there and I don't care if it's past the day now, but that's when the story was last updated for real before being taken down and I will not let that stop me from keeping in a message for some of the bravest men/women that walk the world.**

**Warning: This chapter contains minor language, but nothing too bad.**

**Bold- Message Bulleting/PA System**

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions**_

**Chapter Summary- After successfully defeating the Striaton City Gym Leaders, Tom and the gang decide to take a break and run some errands. For Tom though, nothing seems to come easy as he has a couple run ins with some new trainers that stop him.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I DO own this story, the idea of the story, and the OCS (Tom Sandbourne, Sparks and Sully).**

* * *

Tom, Corey, Kenta, Elliott and Eri departed the building to head towards the hotel that Eri had managed book rooms in. Corey and Tom were going to head to the Pokemon Center briefly to have their Pokemon recover from the battles so they could have their scheduled rematch. As the group reached the road intersection, they decided to split up. Kenta, Elliott and Eri continued down the road towards the hotel while Tom and Corey headed down the main route.

"I've waited a long time for this rematch, Tom." Corey informed.

"Well I'll be sure not to hold back on you then, Corey." Tom replied.

"Good."

The Pokemon Center was in sight, giving Tom and Corey the extra motivation to hurry and get their Pokemon rested up for their battle. The pair of them started running to their destination, but stopped when a voice called out to them.

"You, with the stupid hat! Turn around and face me!"

Tom's eye twitched in annoyance at the little insult towards the hat. Marcus gave him the hat just before he went on his next journey and it would be a cold day in hell before he let someone get away with insulting something precious to him. Turning around, Tom and Corey found themselves staring at a lanky boy around their age. He had short black hair in bowl cut style, slate grey eyes and his skin had a slight tan to it. The boy was dressed in worn grey boots, black jeans that had silver chains going through the belt loops, a dark blue vest with a baggy blue shirt underneath and to top it off, he had a black fedora with a white band on top of his head. Tom and Corey exchanged looks before turning back to the boy in front of them.

"Speak for yourself. Your hat is more ridiculous than mine." Tom retorted.

"Really now? As far as I'm concerned the fedora is quite popular these days since a lot of people wear them. The way I see it, you're the one with the silly hat." The boy calmly countered.

Corey folded his arms as he observed the boy in front of him. He had a hunch that he crossed paths with him before somewhere but couldn't place it. The boy's attitude wasn't setting off a good first impression either. While Corey was busy trying to recall seeing the boy in front of him, Tom was currently locking eyes with his new found rival.

"Insults aside, you've got my attention. Now what do you want?" Tom said, adjusting his hat.

"I would have thought it was obvious. I want to battle you right now," the boy replied, pulling out a Pokeball.

"Hey, you look familiar." Corey interjected. "Do you by chance have two brothers named Curly and Larry?"

The boy sent a glare in Corey's direction only to be met with a small smirk. He didn't find the little joke too amusing. Tom cleared his throat to regain the attention of the fedora wearing teen.

"I think what my jokester friend is asking for is your name," Tom said, struggling not to laugh at Corey's joke.

"The name is Indigo Galaxia." Indigo sneered.

"I thought I recognized you. You were in the Sinnoh League. I beat you during the final four elimination rounds," Corey stated, pointing a finger at Indigo as the memory came to him.

"I wasn't talking to you, Spina."

Corey held up his hands to diffuse the hostility that was developing and decided to keep quiet. Indigo's gaze returned to Tom as he spun the Pokeball on his finger. Tom sighed at Indigo's persistence and gave him the most confident expression he could.

"Alright, Indigo. You want a battle? Well you got one." Tom nodded.

"Tom, don't you think you should rest your Pokemon for a bit before battling him?" Corey asked. "I fought this guy before and he's pretty tough."

"I'm just going to humor him, Corey. If he's too impatient to wait and battle, then who am I to deny his wish?"

"Okay Tom, just stay sharp when you fight him."

With that, Corey continued his trek to the Pokemon Center to have his Pokemon recover from their battle against Cilan. Once Corey was out of sight, Tom turned back to Indigo and sighed again.

"Where do you want to do this?" Tom asked.

"I think the town square will be perfect. It'll be the best place to defeat and humiliate you." Indigo shrugged.

Tom disliked arrogant people with a passion and Indigo was giving off a superior personality. If there was anybody that was going to take Indigo down a couple of pegs, then it would be him. Tom glanced at Sparks and saw that he was glaring at Indigo with disdain. Indigo turned on his heel and began to walk towards the town square which was located in front of the Pokemon Center. Looking at his watch, Tom could see that it was lunchtime, which would mean that there would be a lot of people traveling to restaurants to eat and they would most likely see the battle between him and Indigo.

"Indigo, I think we should battle elsewhere. There's going to be a lot of people moving in the area during the battle and I don't want to take the risk of someone getting hurt," Tom said, trying to convince Indigo to listen to his statement.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Besides, we're here right now." Indigo answered.

Tom shook his head at Indigo's diligence and waited for him to take the opposite side of their chosen battleground. Once Indigo reached his side, he pulled out his Pokeball to initiate the fight. Tom looked at Sparks then nodded at the field. Sparks nodded and jumped into the battle area to wait for Indigo's first Pokemon. Indigo smirked at Tom's first choice at and got ready to throw in his Pokeball to release his chosen Pokemon.

"Indigo, this will be a two on two set battle. There will be no switches and the winner will be the one who has Pokemon remaining." Tom informed.

"Fine with me," Indigo replied, throwing his Pokeball towards the battlefield.

The Pokeball opened with a crack and out came a Toxicroak. The toad like Pokemon glared at Sparks, receiving one in return. Tom crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes as he looked at the situation before him.

_"Good news is that there is no type disadvantage and I've got speed on my side. Downside is that some of Toxicroak's attacks are highly toxic. If Sparks gets hit with one of those he has a good chance of getting poisoned."_ Tom analyzed.

"Toxicroak, use Faint Attack!" Indigo barked.

Tom snapped back to reality at Indigo's voice and scrunched his face up in concentration. Toxicroak was dashing at Sparks with exceptional speed and Tom was having a hard time deciding on when to counter the attack. Faint Attack had a high accuracy rating which made this more difficult to time and defend. On the field, Sparks watched Toxicroak with keen eyes as he waited for Tom to give a command. Suddenly, Toxicroak stopped midstride making Sparks lower his guard.

"Sparks, if you don't stay alert he's going to drill you! Use Thunderwave!" Tom ordered.

Sparks turned his head to Tom and gave a brief nod before raising his arms to send waves of electricity at Toxicroak. Toxicroak stood still and waited for the waves to come before suddenly vanishing and appearing behind Sparks. Sparks turned around only to be met with a brutal slug to the face. Sparks rolled across the ground from the hard hit and stood back up to glare at Toxicroak with malice. Tom's fists clenched at Toxicroak's Faint Attack psyching Sparks out at the last second.

"You're not putting up much of a fight, Tom. Maybe this was a waste of my time." Indigo taunted.

"Watch it," Tom warned, glaring at Indigo. "This match is just getting started and it doesn't take much to change the course of it!"

"Touché. Toxicroak, hit him with Venoshock!"

Toxicroak opened his mouth and a stream of purple liquid shot at Sparks. Sparks rolled out of the way and began running towards Toxicroak. He kept weaving in between each attack of Toxicroak's with incredible speed, closing the gap. Sparks jumped in the air over Toxicroak and smirked down at him.

"Time for some payback!" Tom grinned. "Sparks, use Thunder!"

Sparks glowed yellow with electricity and released it down on Toxicroak just as he launched another Venoshock at him. Both attacks hit their marks and both Pokemon gave a cry of pain from the direct impact. Sparks was blasted back while Toxicroak sank to his knees from the powerful volts of electricity. By this time, a crowd of people began spectating the battle. Indigo clenched his fists as he looked at the skirmish between Toxicroak and Sparks. He had to end this round fast if he wanted secure his victory. Sparks and Toxicroak struggled to stand up from the damage they received from the attacks.

Toxicroak started to walk towards Sparks but stopped and trembled as paralysis took hold. Tom saw this and grinned but it vanished when he saw Sparks have a spasm from the toxins.

"Sparks, hang in there just a little longer! Juice him with Thunderbolt!" Tom urged.

"Toxicroak, shake it off and move! Try and hit him with Payback!" Indigo countered.

Toxicroak, as if renewed by new found vigor, dashed at Sparks and managed to get behind him again. Sparks bared his sharp teeth at Toxicroak as he brought his fist down on his back. Sparks gave a loud cry of pain as he was slammed into the ground from the strong hit. Tom felt the need to reciprocate and decided to give out Sparks' final order.

"Sparks, whatever power you have left, you use it to wipe the grin off that little bugger's face!" Tom commanded.

Sparks nodded and diverted the rest of his power into his paw. Using the last of his strength, he pushed himself off the ground, wheeled round and sent the hardest Thunderpunch he could across Toxicroak's face. There was a loud clap of thunder as the attack crashed into Toxicroak, knocking him silly. Toxicroak staggered back and fell to the ground unable to move any further. Sparks, likewise, landed spread-eagle after suffering another spasm from the poison. Tom and Indigo didn't say a word after watching what had transpired during their first round. Indigo fished out his Pokeball and returned Toxicroak to it. Tom followed suit and pulled out a Pokeball with the letters 'TL' engraved on the top in a lightning bolt design. He knew Sparks would be pissed at him later for putting him in, but he didn't have a choice. Once Sparks was back in the Pokeball, Tom grabbed Sully's.

Indigo and Tom threw their Pokeballs into the center of the makeshift arena to release their last Pokemon. The fight between the two trainers left the audience wanting more. Both Pokeballs opened revealing a Luxray in front of Indigo and Sully in front of Tom. Sully spat out a flame as he glared at Luxray while Luxray stared back calmly. Indigo and Tom began to come up with a strategy to seal their victory.

_"He's pulling out the big guy, eh? Well, I just need Luxray to dodge the attacks and use his speed to my advantage."_ Indigo smirked.

_"This could be a problem. Now he's got the speed this round and Sully isn't fast enough to keep up with him."_ Tom thought.

Luxray dashed at Sully, fangs bared in a snarl. Sully's sharp eyes watched Luxray's movement as he grew closer.

"Sully, Lava Plume!" Tom ordered.

Sully's eyes began to glow red and he crossed his arms to store power. Luxray's mouth was open and sparks were coming off of his teeth. Tom knew the consequences of getting hit with a Thunder Fang attack and was not going to let that happen. Sully let loose a loud battle cry as a hot burst of fire shot off from his body. The fire engulfed Luxray, but he endured the hit and closed his mouth down on Sully's arm. Sully gave a loud roar of anger and glared with absolute hatred down at Luxray.

"Sully, Flamethrower!" Tom hollered.

Sully opened his mouth and fire began to build inside. Luxray quickly let go of Sully and began to run just as Sully began releasing the continuous blaze. The fire was slowly gaining on Luxray and Indigo decided to make his next move. He pointed at Sully to have Luxray start charging at him.

"Volt Tackle!" Indigo yelled.

Luxray was surrounded in a yellow glow as electricity began to enshroud his body. Knowing the damage of a head on assault with Volt Tackle, Tom decided to play Indigo's game.

"Fine then. Sully, use Flame Wheel and hit him with all you got!" Tom countered.

Sully gave a grunt in acknowledgement and started to run directly at Luxray. His body was suddenly coated in strong flames and he jumped in the air. Luxray and Sully collided head first into each other and a loud boom filled the square hushing the crowd. The two attacks had such strength that it created a cloud of smoke, blocking the outcome of the attack from view. Tom and Indigo stared at the cloud, both anxious to know what the status of their Pokemon was. When the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were staring each other down and panting heavily. Sully gave a pained grunt as he fell on all fours. He struggled to keep himself up and his determination to win for Tom was his fuel to press on.

"Sully, I need you to get up and finish this! You can do it buddy!" Tom cheered.

Sully took a deep breath and pushed himself up gingerly. He sent a scowl towards Luxray and gave another ominous growl. Indigo was fairly surprised that Tom's Typhlosion was able to take a frontal attack and had to give him credit that his Pokemon were strong, but that didn't change the fact that he would win this battle. Indigo smirked and pointed at Sully again.

"Finish him with Thunder." Indigo nodded.

"Sully, Flamethrower, now!" Tom barked.

Luxray and Sully unleashed their attacks towards one another. The attacks collided and then continued towards their targets. Luxray jumped just in time to avoid a full hit, but still got burned on his back legs. Sully, however, froze as paralysis took hold of him. He could only watch as the electric attack made contact with his chest. Sully gave a loud cry of pain as the attack shocked him.

"Crap, Sully, try and hang on!" Tom urged.

When the attack finished, Sully looked at Luxray and saw that he was collapsed on the ground and struggling to get up. Sully began utilizing the last of his strength and staggered toward Luxray to finish him off. Indigo felt his throat go dry as Sully advanced towards Luxray with a murderous look on his face. Suddenly, Sully fell to his side and hit the ground with a hard thud. Luxray managed to stand up and kept his eyes fixated on Sully. The crowd was silent before erupting into cheers after the end of the astounding battle. Indigo gave a triumphant smirk as he looked at Tom and wondered how he was dealing with the loss.

_"Well, you can't win every time,"_ Tom thought as he recalled Sully back to his Pokeball. _"Sparks, Sully, even though we lost I'm still damn proud of how you performed."_

Tom looked back at Indigo and saw him ruffling Luxray's mane and giving him praise for hanging tough in the fight. This made Tom change his opinion on Indigo completely. Granted the guy acted like an arrogant jerk towards others, at least he showed compassion for his Pokemon. Indigo returned Luxray to his Pokeball and looked up at Tom with a smirk. Tom gave a grin as he walked over to Indigo and held out his hand as a sign of good sportsmanship.

"I have to tell you Indigo, you gave me a good fight. Your Pokemon were raised well." Tom complimented.

Indigo looked a little surprised with the compliment but regained composure. He crossed his arms and let his smirk spread across his face again. Tom lowered his hand when he realized that Indigo wasn't going to return his handshake.

"Thanks, your Pokemon were pretty good too," Indigo replied as he turned on his heel. "But they need more training."

With that, Indigo walked down the road and disappeared into the bustling street. Tom's fists clenched at the little jab at the end of Indigo's statement.

_"I can tell we're equal in skill, Indigo. But with that end comment of yours, you just signed yourself up for an ass whooping. Next time we fight, you're gonna' drop like a rock."_ Tom thought.

Tom turned around and came face to face with Corey. Corey had a passive look on his face, most likely having seen the result of the battle between him and Indigo. Kenta, Eri and Elliott came up to them from the street to see what their next plans were.

"How're you feeling, Tom?" Corey asked as he crossed his arms.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it." Tom replied.

"What did we miss?" Kenta asked.

"Tom had a battle with some guy and he lost." Corey responded.

"Ah, well their goes Tom's winning streak." Elliott teased.

"Don't worry, babe. You'll lose yours eventually." Tom smirked.

"Well why don't we go and get some lunch? I'm pretty hungry." Eri suggested.

"Sounds good, but let me take Sparks and Sully to the Pokemon Center so they can recover."

The group walked to the Pokemon Center so Tom could carry out his task.

* * *

Once they entered the Pokemon Center, Tom went over to the service counter while Elliott, Corey, Kenta and Eri sat in the lounge area. A teen sitting beside Elliott looked at her for a moment and then towards the service counter where Tom was. Elliott turned and looked at the teen as he walked away.

_"Hmm, he looks pretty tough. He has a strong build, that's for sure,"_ Elliott thought as she eyed him.

"Enjoying your eye candy there, Elliott?" Kenta teased.

"I wasn't, I," Elliott sputtered, her face turning red. "Shut-up, Kenta!"

Elliott went to punch Kenta but he sidestepped it and caught her wrist. He brought her close to him and gave her a cocky smirk. Elliott's eyes were wide with surprise since she was expecting the punch to hit Kenta like before, but he quickly countered it. Her face turned scarlet at the close proximity. Corey sat there looking mildly surprised at the turn of events while Eri giggled at the cute position that Kenta put Elliott in.

"Baby if you wanted to tango all you had to do was ask." Kenta purred.

"Smooth, Kenta." Corey complimented. "But you should know that she can easily reverse the situation."

Kenta looked at Corey in confusion as he heard him speak. That was all it took for Elliott to get out of Kenta's grip and throw him over her shoulder. Kenta hit the ground with a hard thump and felt the air leave his body. Elliott towered over Kenta giving him a grin that was too sweet and her face still had a pink tint to it.

"Hope you enjoyed the moment there, Kenta," Elliott smiled. "But if you do that again, I'll make that nutshot Tom experienced in the woods look like a walk in the park."

Elliott walked towards the vending machines on the other side of the lobby, leaving Corey and Eri laughing. Kenta was too stunned to get up but he felt a goofy grin spread across his face.

"She digs me," Kenta wheezed as he sat up.

"Heh, maybe you do have a way with women, Kenta." Corey chuckled. "Even if it involves getting the crap kicked out of you."

"I told you no woman could resist me. I'm flat out irresistible man, on a scale of one to ten, I'm an eleven."

"Keep telling yourself that, cowboy."

Meanwhile back at the counter, Tom reached the front of the line to hand his Pokemon over to the nurse. She took the Pokemon with a smile and came back with a tray of Pokeballs. Tom turned to his left and saw a teen standing there to receive the tray of Pokeballs.

"Your Pokemon have been returned to fighting condition, Mr. Pheonix," the nurse said, bowing her head. "We hope to see you again."

The teen stood at six foot three, he had long black dreadlocks, brown eyes, dark skin and a strong build. He was wearing blue jeans and a green polo shirt. He took his Pokeballs from the nurse with a nod and sent a glance at Tom. Tom made eye contact with the significantly taller teen and received a grunt in return. The teen started to walk back to the lounge area but stopped when the nurse spoke again.

"Mr. Sandbourne, your Pokemon have been restored to full health," the nurse smiled. "We hope to see you again!"

"Thanks, Ma'am," Tom thanked tipping his hat.

Tom fished out Sparks' Pokeball and released his friend. Sparks materialized before him and shook his head. Tom was mentally counting down the seconds until Sparks shocked him. Sparks turned around and had the "I'm going to kill you," look on his face. His cheeks started to crackle with electricity and Tom gave a nervous chuckle.

"Hey, Sparks, I know you're mad but let's try and be civil and work this out." Tom negotiated.

"Chu!" Sparks cried as he hit Tom with a Thunderbolt.

Tom took the attack and trembled as the powerful volts coursed through his body. Once the attack stopped, Tom hit the floor and would twitch occasionally. He let out a cough as Sparks sat on his chest and looked at him with a happy grin.

"Better now?" Tom coughed.

Sparks nodded and hopped off, allowing Tom to sit upright. Corey, Kenta, Elliott and Eri hurried over to Tom to see how he was holding up from the attack.

"Well you're not bleeding so you're fine." Elliott laughed.

"Are you Tom Sandbourne?" The tall teen asked.

"Yeah, I am. Who are you?" Tom asked standing up.

"My name is Trentavious Phoenix or Trent for short." Trent replied.

"Well how can I help you?"

"I was just curious. I remember seeing you in the Johto League and you fought well."

"Thanks, I think I remember you as well. You made it to the top eight."

"Yeah, I did."

Trent turned around and made for the exit. The group watched in confusion at the rudeness Trent displayed by just walking off and not dismissing himself politely.

"So what exactly is it you wanted? Did you want a battle?" Tom asked.

"I did, but I'll save you the humiliation for later. There's no need for you and your Pokemon to be defeated twice in one day," Trent replied as he looked over his shoulder. "When we meet again, I'll battle you."

With that, Trent departed the Pokemon Center leaving the group behind. On the outside, Tom was calm and cool, but on the inside he was boiling with rage at the insult. His fists began to shake since he was so mad. Eri and Corey saw this and each put a hand on his shoulder.

"Tom, don't let him get to you. If it makes you feel better, you were the one that finished first in Johto. Not him, you. You've got more than enough strength to beat him and I guarantee when you battle him, you will win," Corey said as patted Tom's shoulder.

"I agree with Corey," Eri nodded.

"It's not that," Tom muttered. "Here's the thing about me. He insulted my Pokemon's strength. You can trash talk me and my skills as a trainer all you want, but if you insult the strength of my Pokemon, that's when I get mad."

"We're all in the same boat, Tom." Kenta agreed.

"Thanks guys, I appreciate it."

The group fell silent for a moment and Corey decided to provide some form of humor for the gang. He took his sunglasses off the belt loop of his pants and prepared to put them on.

"Well, I guess you can say that your encounter with Sparks just now was," Corey began as he put the glasses over his eyes. "Shocking."

Tom, Sparks, Elliott, Shade, Kenta and Eri all face faulted at Corey's actions. Tom dragged his palm down his face as he walked to the exit. Elliott and Eri were both shaking their heads and Kenta was wiping a tear from his eye.

"What? Not funny?" Corey asked as he hurried to catch up.

* * *

**Memorial Day **

**Alright, as all of you readers know, today is Memorial Day. On this day, we thank those in the armed services for their service to their country. The men and women of the armed services make the sacrifice to protect their family, friends, country and people of the United States from all enemies both foreign and domestic. Whether you choose to believe it or not, only one percent of the United States population joins the military. Think about that. Now I respect the men and women of our armed services. If any servicemen are currently reading this, I commend you for making the sacrifice to protect the United States. I cannot wait to serve alongside you after I commission as a Second Lieutenant. Now for the readers, if you are out and about with your friends and family today and you see someone in uniform, go up to them, shake their hand and thank them for their service. This shoutout goes to all servicemen, active, reserve, and retired, especially to those in the fight to keep our enemies awake at night. Hooah! -CaptainPrice **

* * *

**Alright guys, that was the chapter, hopefully it stood the test of time to keep you entertained. There you have it, Tom lost his first battle of the Unova Region, I believe that's good because you can't always win. Next update will come soon hopefully, maybe later in the week or most likely next week. **

**1.) Sully's nickname. I meant to take that trivia question out of the chapter since a few of you already knew the answer since I had it posted in this chapter before it was taken down. But yes, I did get Sully's nickname from Godsmack's lead singer, Sully Erna.**

**2.) Good eye for those who caught the Three Stooges joke and the CSI Miami joke.**

**3.) Feel free to spread this story to those you think would enjoy it. Don't have to, but feel free to do so.**

**Story Shoutouts:**

**Through My Eyes: The Unova Takeover by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**From Darkness Comes Light by PhantomStorm:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**Hard Time by The Helpless Romantic:**

**This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.**

**"Pokemon: The Final Battle" by Cyclone20: This story is focussed on a bunch of trainers that have been selected to participate in the Generation's Tournament. A place only for the best of the best trainers. Second chapter is currently up with more epicness to follow as the story rolls on. Drop in and give a review. **

**"Spiritual Bonds" by Whisper to the Moon: A story that is following a group of humans with souls of Pokemon. This story just started and has lots of potential. It's quickly becomming one of a few stories starting to emerge with humans having Pokemon powers/abilities and what not and I believe it's a good read. Drop in and give some constructive feedback.**

**"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well.**

**"Sydney's Pokemon Journey" by Hazelblossom: This story follows a girl named Sydney and her younger sister Lily as they travel on their journey. Drop in and give a read as well as some constructive comments.**


	7. Master of Puppets

**Yo, what's up guys. This your Captain speaking and giving you a brand new chapter for Rise to the Challenge. That's right, we're done with the freaking reruns! Now this chapter is important and may seem very boring with the dialogue, but I urge you to read this closely since it gives foreshadowing and a feel for the bad guys. Oops, slight spoiler. I broke away from Tom and the gang this chapter to explore the bad guys. Now I hope that that you guys enjoy this chapter. Stay and read the authors note when your done for announcements.**

**Goal Reached!: It's been done guys! I managed to get over 71 reviews once chapter six was brought up, the final count being 78. I couldn't have done it without you guys and I am very happy that I have all the support for my fans that they went through with my request. I know it was a selfish one guys, but I'm honestly very happy that you went through with it. I owe you all big time and to show my thanks, I'll try to get another chapter out by Sunday. **

**Chapter Summary: In a building overlooking Striaton City, Ghetsis consults with two of his subordinates. In that time frame, he ponders how he should have Team Plasma operate with some tasks that need accomplishing. He also gets wind of an old enemy that appears to have resurfaced.**

**Key:**

**Bold-PA System/Message Bulletin**

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics-Radio/TV/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions_**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I DO own the OCs (Tom, Sparks, Sully and Langdon), the story and the idea of the story itself.**

* * *

Three men were standing inside a room in silence. The room itself was large and filled with statues of legendary Pokemon, portraits, chess tiled flooring and expensive furniture. A large oak desk separated the three of them and sitting on it was a chess board, waiting to be touched for a game. The first man stood at six foot four and he was standing at ease with his arms folded behind his back. He had onyx black eyes, clean cut black hair that was turning grey with age and he had a fair amount of muscle concealed by his uniform. The man was garbed in the Team Plasma uniform, but his was different. Instead of a blue tabard and insignia, his was black and red. He had a brown duster over his uniform as well.

The second man stood at six feet tall and had messy brown hair that reached just below his chin line, brown eyes and his face was covered with freckles. His matter of presenting himself was completely unorthodox. His uniform had wrinkles and he looked as though he neglected his hygiene before attending the meeting. He was standing in a bored fashion with his hands in his pockets with a distant look.

"For God's sake, Liam, you couldn't make yourself at least mildly decent before attending a council with your superior?" The taller man asked.

Liam glanced at the man next to him and gave a shrug before returning to his daydream. He could care less what he looked like at the moment, much less what someone else thought of him. He just came to deliver his report and after doing so, he wanted to go back to sleep. The third member of the room finally turned away from the window to face his subordinates.

"Let it go, Langdon," Ghetsis said, as he walked over to the desk.

"My apologies, milord," Langdon replied, bowing his head slightly.

Liam gave a chuckle at Langdon's brownnosing and shook his head.

"Liam, you're dismissed," Ghetsis said, pointing towards the door. "Langdon, I want you to remain here for a bit. I wish to discuss something with you."

"Aw, milord, don't be like that," Liam smirked. "You still don't trust me after all these years?"

"It's not a matter of trust, boy. Now remove yourself from my premises. I will call for you when I finish talking with Langdon and for your sake you better look more presentable when we speak."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Liam turned on his heel waving his hand as he walked towards the door. Before exiting the room, he looked over his shoulder to give one last little poke.

"We need to work on our communication, milord," Liam smiled. "My office is open from noon till four. Shall I schedule an appointment for you?"

Ghetsis ignored him and sat down in front of the chess board. Liam gave another shrug after receiving no response and closed the door behind him. Langdon gave a sigh to release all of his built up anger towards Liam. No matter what he did, Liam was able to annoy him and get under his skin with just the smallest jabs.

"I don't know why we allow him to stay with us. That boy is nothing but a nuisance," Langdon muttered, pulling out a cigar.

* * *

There was a click as Langdon's lighter opened and revealed a flame to light his cancer stick. He puffed out some smoke and took the cigar out of his mouth to adjust to the taste. Ghetsis pointed to the chair opposite him and Langdon took a seat. Ghetsis folded his hands together as he eyed the chess board.

"I'm not fond of him either, Langdon," Ghetsis added. "However, he's our best grunt and he gets the job done."

"I find his treatment towards you and his superiors sickening. He wouldn't know discipline if it walked up and slapped him in the face." Langdon replied.

"I detect a lot of hatred towards him from you, Langdon."

"Milord, hate is such a small word to describe my feelings towards that little parasite."

Ghetsis gave a grunt as he rested his hands on the table. Langdon could see that they were preparing to play a game as they conversed.

"So what exactly is it you wanted to talk to me about, milord?" Langdon asked.

"I wanted to test you and see if you can play my game," Ghetsis replied, moving a pawn forward two spaces.

"Are you referring to the pieces being us?"

Langdon pushed his own pawn forward one space and watched as Ghetsis moved another pawn to set up a capture.

"Yes. I also want to know what your understanding is about the pieces and see who on Team Plasma represents what piece." Ghetsis nodded.

"Very well then," Langdon agreed, puffing out more smoke. "The pawn lives up to its name by being the insignificant piece. They do the dirty work and are used as decoys to allow the superiors to move in the shadows with the real plan."

Ghetsis pushed a third pawn forward one space to open room for his bishop. Langdon observed the board and began to think on who was what piece. He already knew that the grunts of Team Plasma were the pawns. Their job was to distract the public with propaganda about Pokemon liberation and attempt to release Pokemon from their trainers. Langdon moved his far right pawn forward two spaces to have access to his rook.

"The grunts are the pawns for Team Plasma," Langdon said, tapping his cigar over the ash tray.

"Good, you've got the basics down for the first piece," Ghetsis answered, mimicking Langdon's previous move.

Langdon moved his rook and placed it directly behind his pawn. The rook was the stronghold and protector of the team. Their job is to be able to have the time and space to move forward, backward or side to side at a moment's notice to protect another piece or take out another threat. They also provide as a guard to the king to allow a castling should the king be close to being put in check. Although they weren't really the fighting type, they would without a doubt protect and heal the team's Pokemon and protect the king if they had to.

"The rook protects the team and king by moving to defend or take out another piece. Although they aren't the fighting type, Anthea and Concordia would be the rooks," Langdon continued, taking another drag of his cigar.

Ghetsis made his move and captured Langdon's first pawn, however that left his pawn open for punishment from Langdon's. Langdon followed through and took Ghetsis' pawn as well. The next piece was the knight, which happened to be Langdon's second favorite piece. The knight's job was to keep order, protect the higher pieces and cover distance to hold a position. They could move backward, forward, left and right, the catch was they could only move four spaces in an L movement.

"The knights are the higher ranked officers and they keep order over the pawns to ensure they get their jobs done. However, they are also supposed to protect the other officers. I would be the knight and even though he's a grunt, Liam's truly a knight." Langdon coughed.

Ghetsis moved his bishop out midway and waited for Langdon to make his next move. The game continued as the pair of them would sit and consult their strategy before making the move. Ten turns later, both of them had pawns and officer pieces missing. At this rate, it would either end in a stalemate or checkmate. While Langdon was coming up with next move, he decided to give Ghetsis his last three answers for the bishop, king and queen.

"The bishop's job is to give guidance to the king and queen. However, they also give orders to those below the king and queen. They can also be used as spies if you want to be creative," Langdon continued, moving his bishop and lining it up with Ghetsis' king. "Check."

"Interesting," Ghetsis replied, moving his king to the left. "What gave you that idea with the spying?"

"Honestly, I took the idea just from priests since priests and bishops are the same to me. Priests take confessions from sinners and they're to be kept private. The way I see it, they can be used for espionage through disguise. So I'm guessing you have two of the remaining six sages acting as our bishops to tail any possible enemies."

Ghetsis gave a chuckle as Langdon gave him his answer. The man did know his tactics, but his true knowledge of them would show with his next answer about the king and queen. Langdon tapped out some more ash as he moved his rook in front of his king for protection. The next two moves brought the game closer to its end.

"Now this is where it gets interesting, milord." Langdon smirked. "You've got the two most important pieces here, the king and the queen."

Ghetsis nodded and placed his hand on his queen before moving it to take out Langdon's bishop. Langdon made his move that Ghetsis had failed to see and moved his knight. He removed Ghetsis' queen from the board and leaned back to develop his last few strategies. Ghetsis moved his pawn and took Langdon's knight off the board

"The king is the priority on the board and he has to be protected in order to lead his men. Now, although he is the leader, he cannot do everything on his own and he needs someone to help him. If the king were to do everything on his own, it leaves too much room for a mistake and can lead to his downfall, being checkmate. He has to look out for his own interests as well. That's why he can only move one space at a time. He either moves to save himself or he stays put and the other pieces move to represent his leading," Langdon said, puffing out more smoke.

Ghetsis moved his last pawn another space to try and get to the end to retrieve a lost piece. Langdon countered back by moving his queen to remove the last pawn. With no pawns left, it prevented Ghetsis from regaining an officer piece. Langdon smirked again as he looked at his favorite piece on the board that was standing tall. It was time to give his final answer.

"Now for the queen," Langdon began. "Although the king leads the army and is the key piece of the game, it's truly the queen you need to be concerned about. The king relies on the queen to help him lead and support him with guidance. In truth, she is the puppet master of the board, she calls the shots. She can move anywhere and is capable of doing damage to everything around her with just one move. The queen is the keystone of the army. When the queen goes down, everything falls out of balance and the king is prone to making more mistakes without his queen's support. When the queen goes down, it's total anarchy and very soon, everyone begins to turn on each other to become top dog. With all the disorder, the enemy will strike and win."

With that, Langdon placed his queen between his king and Ghetsis'. Ghetsis saw that he was in check and if he were to move to the other open spot, it would be checkmate in the next move. However, there was one last move he could make that would change the outcome of the game. Before he made his move, he looked at Langdon with a smirk of his own. The man before him knew the game and how to play. He just needed to know who he thought the last two pieces resembled. Ghetsis folded his hands in front of his mouth and decided to ask his final question.

"Very deductive, Langdon," Ghetsis nodded. "But I have to ask you this. Who do you think is the king and who is the queen?"

"Milord, the way I see it is that N is the king. However, you are the queen. You, milord, are the master of puppets." Langdon answered.

Ghetsis grinned behind his hands and gave a couple claps at Langdon's philosophy of the pieces. This man before him knew the strategy and the game of an organization. Then again, he was talking with a man with an IQ of over 170. With Langdon being an Executive rank with Team Plasma, they were sure to succeed with their plans. This was Langdon's final test to see how he would operate and if he was trustworthy. To Ghetsis, this man passed his test with flying colors. The only thing left to do was finish the game.

"Congratulations, Langdon. You've passed my final test for you and I believe I made the right choice of making you an Executive," Ghetsis replied. "But like you said…"

Ghetsis moved his bishop and it took the place of Langdon's queen. Langdon's eyes narrowed at the play before he gave a nod. With his queen gone, the game was done. Both were left with one bishop and their king. No true victory for either of them.

"With your queen gone, the game is over," Ghetsis finished. "Stalemate, Langdon."

"Well played, milord." Langdon agreed.

Langdon puffed out the smoke and crushed the cigar in his hand. He stood up and gave a stretch as he prepared to vacate the room. Ghetsis finished resetting the pieces and stood up as well to return to his place at the window overlooking Striaton City. Once Liam finished giving him the report, he would put one of his side plans into motion. He needed to test the other grunts and see if Liam was competent in leading them on a successful mission. As Langdon was about to depart the room, Ghetsis stopped him for the final time that night. His voice had more of a serious and threatening edge to it.

"Langdon, do not forget your place." Ghetsis warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it, milord." Langdon replied.

"Good. Now tell Liam that he is come and see me right now."

Langdon gave a nod and departed the room, closing the door behind him. Ghetsis resumed looking out the window as he returned to his thoughts. Before organizing Team Plasma, he did his research on the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh regions and their history with criminal organizations. The one thing each organization had in common was that they were stopped by a group of people known as PCTU. However, PCTU didn't come into the picture until after Team Rocket was stopped for the first time in Kanto by a boy named Red.

When they did, they ended up uncovering the motives of each organization with the help of a handful of trainers each time. Ghetsis was going to keep a close eye on them, but he knew it was a matter of time before they came and started to interfere with his group. If Liam's report about possible Team Rocket members that haven't been caught were true, then they would surely be in Unova soon and that alone would draw the attention of PCTU.

_"Just another group of pests that need to be exterminated,"_ Ghetsis thought. _"I will not make the mistake that those other foolish groups did."_

* * *

Meanwhile, a couple floors down from Ghetsis' chamber, Liam was laying on his bed looking at the ceiling. A smirk was spread across his face as he relished in Langdon's obvious frustration towards him. A knock came from his door and he walked over to the door and opened it to come face to face with Langdon. He put on an innocent smile as he received a piercing glare in return.

"I don't remember making an anger management appointment with you, Langdon," Liam grinned. "Am I to understand that you wish to start these lessons?"

"When you're done acting like a jackass, Ghetsis would like to see you immediately." Langdon replied.

He turned on his heel and vanished as he rounded the corner at the end of the hall. Liam gave a bored sigh and shut the door behind him.

"Thank you for making my day, Langdon. Your anger amuses me and I am grateful for that. It helps make things less dull around here." Liam muttered to himself.

* * *

Liam entered Ghetsis' room again and found him staring outside the window once more. His boots made dull thumps as he trudged up to Ghetsis' desk and stood at attention. Ghetsis walked back to the desk and was mildly surprised that Liam had taken his words to mind and cleaned himself up. He cleared his throat as he looked Liam in the eye.

"Liam, I wish to know everything you learned about those rumors of Team Rocket members entering Unova." Ghetsis requested.

"Milord, the stories are true for the most part," Liam began, pulling out a dossier. "I have a bunch of names of recorded members in this file here. Now, I know for a fact that they seem to be taking orders from the girl in the photograph."

Liam set the document down on the desk and Ghetsis opened the file to observe it. He saw the list of names on the document and his eyes fell upon the photo of the girl. She had long sea foam green colored hair that was wrapped up in a high ponytail. Her skin was very pale and her navy blue eyes were nothing but cold. She was wearing the standard Team Rocket uniform and had a black trench coat over it. He scanned the names and came across two female names.

"What's this girl's name?" Ghetsis probed.

"Her name is Tessa Hyslop. She was originally in captivity from PCTU, but she somehow broke out. From what I understand, after Giovanni was arrested by PCTU she gathered a bunch of remaining members and started to reform the team." Liam replied.

"How dangerous is she?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself. From what I heard, she apparently only has an Ekans for a Pokemon, yet she somehow managed to steal a lot of Pokemon from trainers and facilities alike."

Ghetsis' face scrunched up in thought as he absorbed Liam's words. The fact that she managed to steal so many Pokemon with a weak Pokemon alone was a red flag to him. She must've had help from a partner or another source if she had that much success.

"How much of a threat do you think she poses to us at this time?" Ghetsis asked.

"Personally, milord, if you were to face her or send me or Langdon to do the job, she wouldn't stand a chance," Liam stated. "I honestly wouldn't take her too seriously."

Ghetsis closed the file and placed it back on his desk. As much as he wanted to take Liam's words to heart, he didn't want to act and risk gaining PCTU's attention too quickly. He wanted to stay clear of them as long as he could. Ghetsis looked at the chess board on his desk and then the second one he placed beside it earlier before Liam entered the room.

"What do you wish to do, milord?" Liam asked. "Do you want to take out Team Rocket now?"

"Not at this time. Right now I want to keep surveillance on any possible activity they may cause. Then when the time is right, we will make an example of them." Ghetsis replied.

Liam nodded at Ghetsis' answer. As much as Liam liked acting like a wise guy, he knew that now wasn't the time to do so.

"I guess that would be the best call, milord. If their track record is the same when Red took them down the first time, I wouldn't be too surprised if this ends up being a train wreck for them either." Liam nodded.

Ghetsis said nothing as he folded his arms behind him. He glanced at Liam then began to ponder on whether or not to assign Liam the next mission he had in mind.

"Liam, I want you to choose two grunts and standby for a possible mission," Ghetsis informed. "I'll send for you if I decide to have you do this mission. For now, you're dismissed."

"Yes, milord." Liam bowed.

"Now if you could act like this all the time, I wouldn't have many issues with you."

Liam felt a smirk spread across his face and decided to mess with Ghetsis again. He needed to do so or he wouldn't have much fun for the rest of the day since he would be stuck choosing the most gullible grunts to do his dirty work.

"What's the matter?" Liam asked, using baby talk. "Does milord have a dead sense of humor?"

Ghetsis said nothing and pointed at the door, ordering him to leave. Liam gave another sigh at his failed attempt to get a rise out of Ghetsis. He turned on his heel and started to make his trek downstairs to pick his marionettes for his probable mission.

* * *

**Well that's the chapter guys. I quite honestly wouldn't be surprised if you guys are confused, but hopefully it was easy to understand for the most part. I thought I did a fair job with the chess board and the analogies that Langdon made throughout the game with Ghetsis. Now there are hints of foreshadowing in there, so keep that in mind because I will refer back to the chess board until the whole Team Plasma events are done in the story. You all know who is who for the pieces on Team Plasma's side, but now what I want you guys to do is come up with who is who on Tom's side. I still have yet to introduce good guys, so your thoughts on who is who may change as the story progresses. **

**I hope you guys truly enjoyed this chapter. I know it was probably boring for most of you, but it needed to be done. You finally got a glimpse of some of the main bad guys of the story with a couple more to come. Now, I may update again before the weekend is done, but the fact that my 20th birthday is on Sunday, chances are that it may not happen. I hope you all had a great Independence Day and I hope you have a good weekend. Look below here for some announcements and story shoutouts. Till next time guys. - CaptainPrice **

**Poll:**

**I am setting up a poll on my profile page for two possible Pokemon stories and I will leave it up for a couple chapters before closing it down. Go and vote for your choice.**

**Story Possiblity Number one:**

** This story will be an all Pokemon story, meaning Pokemon only, no humans or anything. It will revolve around three Lucario brothers that are in the military. It will follow the second oldest brother who leads a special forces team. This story will take a while to make since I want to get as much accurate information that I can to make the story realistic.**

**Story Possiblity Number Two:**

**This will be a story of a new trend that has started up with humans having Pokemon abilities/powers. It will follow my character Dameon Blackburn on his own journey as he learns to cope with having the powers of a Pokemon. **

**Story Shoutouts: ...Come on guys, I check the reviews on these stories and don't really see anything new. Remember what I have posted in chapter one's end author note? Don't be that lazy guy and not say anything thinking someone else will. Be the one to speak up and say something to help these authors improve. (I really didn't want to have to say this, but apparently I have to be more assertive.) Just because another reviewer may have said something you were going to say, bring it up again because it shows that the issue being addressed needs to be rectified.**

**Through My Eyes: The Unova Takeover by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**From Darkness Comes Light by PhantomStorm:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**Hard Time by The Helpless Romantic:**

**This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.**

**"Pokemon: The Final Battle" by Cyclone20: This story is focussed on a bunch of trainers that have been selected to participate in the Generation's Tournament. A place only for the best of the best trainers. Second chapter is currently up with more epicness to follow as the story rolls on. Drop in and give a review. **

**"Spiritual Bonds" by Whisper to the Moon: A story that is following a group of humans with souls of Pokemon. This story just started and has lots of potential. It's quickly becomming one of a few stories starting to emerge with humans having Pokemon powers/abilities and what not and I believe it's a good read. Drop in and give some constructive feedback.**

**"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well.**

**"Sydney's Pokemon Journey" by Hazelblossom: This story follows a girl named Sydney and her younger sister Lily as they travel on their journey. Drop in and give a read as well as some constructive comments.**


	8. Showdown in the Dreamyard

**Hey, guess who's got two thumbs and turned 20 last Sunday and is here with a new update? That's right, this guy! Alright, joking aside, here's a new chapter that I hope everyone enjoys. I believe I struggled a little writing this chapter, mainly with the characters, but I guess that's where you guys come in to say something. I focused on a character that people have mentioned lots of times that doesn't seem to get the spotlight a lot, despite the fact she's in the group. So this chapter has Eri as the main character. We are also introduced to the final companion of Tom's group. Well, stay tuned for the end author note at the bottom of the chapter.**

**Chapter Summary: Eri is out and about in the early morning to conduct some research and accomplish a set goal in her mind. Liam has selected his two companions for the mission that Ghetsis assigned him and they are quite an interesting pair. Turns out a lot can happen in a couple hours of an early morning.**

**Bold- Message Bulletin/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/Xtransreceiver Conversations**_

* * *

Eri was walking through the grass in the early morning light. There was a good chance she could catch a Pokemon off guard while they were in the middle of hunting for their breakfast. Her Pokeball was dangling off her hip and her hand kept touching it with anticipation as she searched for a target. As long as she was able to learn from the Pokemon she caught, then that was good enough for her. Her sharp eyes scanned the trees and nearby bushes for any sign of movement. At long last, a small shadow flew over her head and landed halfway across the field to her right. Eri was able to identify it as a Pidove and felt a smile spread across her face.

"This would be a good start. Pidove's are a great target for beginning trainers." Eri thought.

Eri walked off the path and began to crawl behind a bush for cover to hide from the Pidove to get a surprise attack in. Her hands pushed away some of the branches and she could see Pidove pecking the ground for worms. Eri's Pokeball opened with a crack and an Oshawott appeared by her side. She looked at Oshawott and nodded at the Pidove to show what they were doing.

"Pino, we're going to get the jump on this one. Hit Pidove with Water Gun." Eri whispered.

"Wott!" Pino nodded.

Pino began to do a low crawl in the grass towards Pidove to get in range for the attack. Once in position, he sprung up and his mouth opened releasing a jet of water at Pidove. Pidove's head snapped up as its eyes caught the attack soaring towards it. Pidove jumped into the air and avoided a full hit from the Water Gun, but it still managed to hit on the wing. Pidove began to spiral towards the ground with no way to defend itself.

"Pino, hit it with Tackle!" Eri called as she ran out from the bush.

Pino shot at Pidove as it continued falling and jumped up. He successfully managed to intercept Pidove and hit it square in the chest with Tackle. Pidove gave a cry in pain as Pino crashed into its chest, sending it to the ground with a hard thud. Pino rested his hands on his hips and smirked at the Pokemon he managed to takedown his opponent. He was cut short of his victory as Pidove stood up once again and spread its wings. Pidove began took to the air once more and began flapping its wings towards Pino. Pino sunk down low to hold his ground and used his arm to shield his eyes from any particles.

"That's Gust," Eri analyzed as she watched Pidove continue its relentless attack. "Pino, charge at Pidove and slide under it!"

Pino glanced at Eri with a perplexed look, but shook it off as Eri gave a confident nod. He would trust Eri's judgment as long as she felt positive of the outcome. Lowering his defense, Pino began running as fast as he could through the howling wind and finally managed to break free from the attack. After getting enough speed from his run, Pino jumped up and slid on his side. The momentum of Pino's speed would allow him to slide past Pidove. Just as Pino was about to get under Pidove, Eri made the call.

"Water Gun, now!" Eri barked.

Pino looked up at Pidove and opened his mouth and shot out another torrent of water. This time, the attack was a direct hit. Pidove was struck in the stomach and launched skyward from the hit. Pidove tried to regain composure from the attack but it was no use. Pidove fell to the ground in exhaustion and hit it with a loud thump. Eri wasted no time to move towards the Pokemon and pulled out a fresh Pokeball.

"You're mine, Pidove!" Eri declared as she threw the Pokeball.

The red and white ball hit Pidove and opened up. Pidove glowed red before being sucked into the Pokeball. The capsule closed and landed on the ground before it started to wiggle. Eri watched the ball jiggle back and forth with closed fists and Pino glared at it with crossed arms. The ball finally stopped squirming and gave a click, signaling the capture of Pidove. Eri beamed and Pino gave a grin as well at the new addition to the team.

"Nice job, Pino," Eri praised as she hugged her partner.

Pino's face turned pink from the comment his master gave him. He pushed the Pokeball over to Eri and she picked it up, smiling at it. She caught her first Pokemon with ease and plenty more would follow on her journey. All she had to do now was collect the data for her Pokedex. She pulled out the device and started to record the information on Pidove.

**"Pidove, the tiny pigeon Pokemon. These Pokemon live in forests and cities and are accustomed to people. They like to flock together in parks and plazas. Pidove follows its trainer's orders as best as it can, but sometimes fail to understand complicated commands."** Dexter informed. **"Pokedex number twenty-five, stands at one foot, weighs just under five pounds, this Pokemon is a flying type."**

Eri attached the Pokeball to her hip and pulled out her notebook and pen. She sat on the ground and began to copy down information on the Pidove that she caught to keep for reference. As she wrote down the data she received from Dexter, she began to wonder what kind of recipe and dietary plan would be best suitable for Pidove. Once Eri finished copying the information down in her book, she held up Pino's Pokeball and pointed it at him.

"Thanks a lot for your help, Pino. You've earned a good rest," Eri said, recalling Pino to his Pokeball.

Eri was about to place the ball back on her side, but it opened once again and Pino appeared in front of her looking unhappy. Eri blinked in surprise before attempting to recall Pino back into the ball.

"Pino, get back in the ball please." Eri said.

The red beam went to connect with Pino but he jumped aside and avoided it. She tried doing this again, but Pino dodged each time. Eri was starting to lose her patience with Pino and squatted down to eye level with her partner. The two of them stared at each other with matching looks. Eri finally sighed in defeat and pocketed Pino's Pokeball.

"Fine then, Pino. If you don't want to be in the Pokeball that's fine, but if you faint during a battle, that's where you're going. Deal?" Eri negotiated.

"Osha!" Pino smiled.

Eri scooped up Pino in her arms and began to head back to town to eat breakfast and restore her Pokemon to fighting condition.

* * *

Liam observed the two grunts before him that he selected to partake in the mission that Ghetsis assigned him. The mission was to collect a bunch of dream mist to carry out two plans. The first was to use the dream mist to appear in the dreams of people to carry out their propaganda of Pokemon Liberation by convincing them to release their Pokemon. The only thing Liam knew about the second plan is that it would aid Team Plasma with one of their main goals. The only problem was that there was only one Pokemon that could provide the dream mist and that Pokemon was Munna. The last known location of a Munna was near the Dreamyard just outside of Striaton City where an old laboratory was. Even if it was there, chances are it would be incredibly difficult to find. Thankfully with the help of the two pathetic grunts in front of him, it would make things a lot easier.

The first grunt was a girl that stood at five foot four. She was a ginger, with red hair and freckles the whole nine yards. Her eyes were dark brown and her hair was cut just above her shoulders that fell in messy waves. She had a high forehead and a strong jawline as well. As Liam looked at her, it reminded him of his older sister.

The second grunt stood at five foot ten and had dark skin. He had dreadlocks concealed under a bandana with the Team Plasma insignia on the front. His brown eyes held a calm yet threatening aura as he stood erect with his arms crossed.

"So what exactly is it you want us to do, Dots?" The man asked.

"If you weren't busy adjusting your bandanna, maybe he wouldn't have to repeat himself, Pierce." The woman commented.

"I wasn't referring to you, Melanie."

Liam smiled at the bickering between the two as the gears in his head began to turn while he formulated his plan. Melanie and Pierce would help him search for Munna and if they ran into any obstacles, they would be his muscle. Liam had no desire to get his hands dirty unless he had to. He garnered the attention of Melanie and Pierce after he cleared his throat. They turned to him and he gave yet another one of his smiles.

"To answer your question Pierce, I need you and Melanie to help me gather dream mist for Ghetsis. The only way to retrieve it is from a Pokemon known as Munna. We believe that there is one located in the Dreamyard, so that's where we are going," Liam said, his grin never leaving.

"What if we run into any people with Pokemon?" Melanie asked. "Do you want us to battle them and have them release their Pokemon when they lose?"

"If you want to do that, go right ahead. I can't think of anyone else better for the job. Coming to think of it, you could probably do this better than I can. So what do say, Melanie? Do you want to take this one?"

Melanie looked a little surprised at Liam's statement but replaced it with a confident smirk and nodded.

"Leave it to me. We can do this, Dots. So why don't you take a break?" Melanie replied.

"I would very much enjoy it, Melanie. Now you'd better get going, we're wasting time here with our little chat." Liam nodded.

Melanie and Pierce turned around and began descending the hill towards the abandoned laboratory. The grin on Liam's face was replaced with a sinister smirk as he watched his two minions walk away. He had everything going to plan as his eyes bore into Melanie's back.

_"Hook, line and sinker. This ought to be one interesting show."_ Liam thought.

* * *

Melanie and Pierce finally reached the road and began to blend in with the early morning crowds. Pierce kept his eyes peeled for any police and trainers with visible Pokeballs within easy reach. Melanie was doing the same as she searched for easy targets. The easier the target proved to be the weaker trainer that had no right to make Pokemon suffer with poor training. As they neared the street that would lead them to the Dreamyard, Melanie's eyes fell upon a young girl with two Pokeballs dangling on her side. A sly grin spread across her face and she turned to Pierce after giving him a nudge. Pierce got the message and crept up behind the girl. His hand grabbed the two balls and gave a swift tug, pulling them off her belt.

The girl, however, felt the Pokeballs leave her side and she looked directly at Pierce and Melanie. Melanie watched as the look of shock on her face turned to anger and froze at her sudden change in demeanor. This proved to be bad as the girl opened her mouth and pointed at the two of them.

"Thieves! Give me back my Pokemon!" The girl yelled.

Pierce cursed as he gained the attention of the girl and his eyes darted around after she screamed. There were a couple cops moving towards him and Melanie and he knew that they had to get out of there fast. He turned to Melanie and saw her looking unsure of what to do. Either stand and fight or run with the Pokemon and try to shake the police.

"Melanie, make the call!" Pierce barked.

"Run, let's go!" Melanie yelled.

The pair of them started pushing and shoving their way through the crowd, desperate to escape the police. Pierce glanced back and saw one officer stop to talk to the girl while the other was hot on their heels. His hand pulled out a small cylindrical device and he pulled the pin, dropping the object on the ground. It gave a loud hiss as a thick cloud of smoke began covering their escape. Pierce turned to glance at Melanie and shook his head.

"Maybe you should keep in mind to have a contingency plan for these situations." Pierce sneered.

"Shut up and keep moving!" Melanie barked back, her face red with anger.

With the smoke filling the street and causing disorientation, the officer chasing Pierce and Melanie got held up. When the smoke cleared, Pierce and Melanie were long gone with no one having a visual on their heading, except for one.

* * *

Eri had exited the Pokemon Center after having her Pokemon recover and decided to go get an early breakfast. She made her way to a nearby vendor that was selling some fruit, water and juice. Eri picked out a couple apples, bananas and some juice before pulling out her wallet to pay. Once she handed her money over to the merchant, she placed her items in a bag. As she was about to leave, she heard someone shout in anger.

"Thieves! Give me back my Pokemon!" A little girl yelled.

Eri's head snapped to the source of the outburst and her eyes fell upon two figures dressed in a strange type of uniform. She quickly ran over to the girl and watched as the two perpetrators dashed down the road to escape. Eri stopped by the girl to see if she was okay.

"Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?" Eri asked.

"No, but those jerks stole my Pokemon!" She replied.

"Alright, I'll go get them back for you. Stay here and wait for the police."

With that being said, Eri started running after the culprits as fast as she could. She was able to spot them disappearing into the crowds and knew she had to go faster if she wanted to stand a chance catching them. Thinking rapidly, she broke free from the crowds and started to run on the bike path to avoid any obstruction. She was glad she made her decision when she did because as soon as she got on the path, a thick smoke barrier covered the entire road. Eri saw the two thieves make a turn to the right and continued her pursuit. Not wanting to draw their attention just yet, she decided to weave in between the trees for cover.

* * *

This continued for about ten minutes until Eri finally stopped behind a large tree to eavesdrop on the two criminals. She took a couple deep breaths to regain composure after her speedy run. Eri started to contemplate her next move. If she were to fight right now, it would be two against one and the chances of succeeding didn't look promising to her. Although she hated asking for help, she knew she needed some form of backup if she wanted to rescue the stolen Pokemon. She pulled out her Xtransreceiver and dialed up Tom, Corey, Kenta and Elliott in hopes to get one of them to help her quickly. Eri gave a frustrated sigh when none of them answered and began leaving a message.

"I'm not sure which one of you will get this first, but I need some help. I just chased two thieves that stole a little girl's Pokemon and I'm outnumbered. I'm outside the Dreamyard at the northeast end of town, please hurry if you get this message." Eri whispered.

She ended the call with a click and pocketed her Xtransreceiver. Eri heard the two thieves conversing and began crawling behind a nearby bush to hear them. The two of them were arguing and that got Eri's attention. If they were fighting, it gave her the chance to surprise them with their guards down. She went with the latter option and planned to play it safe for now.

"Is that cop still chasing us?" Melanie asked.

"Highly unlikely," Pierce panted, looking over his shoulder. "That smokescreen should've distracted them."

"I can't believe you got caught."

"Hey, I was following your orders, Melanie. So don't start with me."

"You didn't have to."

"True, but Liam put you in charge of this mission, so I'm just following the chain of command here. Not my fault if your plan wasn't thought out well. As a matter of fact, you should be thanking me for that maneuver with the smokescreen."

Melanie gave a scoff and swiped the Pokeball that Pierce stole from the young girl. A grin spread across her face and she felt accomplished with snatching the Pokemon. Pierce leaned up against the tree in front of Eri's bush and watched as Melanie summoned the Pokemon from their Pokeballs. A Lilipup and a Pidove materialized before Melanie and began looking around in confusion. When they looked up at Melanie, they began to growl. They had never seen her before and their trainer was nowhere in sight. Melanie held up her hands to try and calm the two Pokemon down.

"On behalf of Team Plasma, I hereby release you. You no longer have to suffer from being forced to battle or work for trainers again." Melanie announced.

The Lilipup and Pidove continued glaring at Melanie before turning around and to head back to the city. This didn't sit too well with Melanie and she had to stop them from going back to their horrid life.

"Pierce, block them. They cannot afford to go back to that lifestyle." Melanie ordered.

"Whatever," Pierce grunted, as he moved to stand in front of the two Pokemon.

By this time, Eri couldn't wait any longer for her friends and decided to stop them now. She stood up and came out from her hiding place, glaring at the two thieves before her. Pierce and Melanie noticed Eri and got in front of the two Pokemon.

"What do you two think you're doing? What right do you have to steal those Pokemon from a little girl?" Eri hissed.

"We don't need a right to steal Pokemon, that's just what we do!" Melanie retorted.

"Yeah, I guess cowardly thieves like you don't need a reason. However, I'm not going to stand by and let you get away with this."

Eri's Pokeball opened and Pino stood in front of her with a furious look spread across his face. Melanie and Pierce looked at each other before grinning with anticipation at the battle about to take place.

"Well, well, looks like we have more Pokemon to save, Pierce." Melanie cackled.

"You're right," Pierce agreed, stepping forward. "Question is who gets first dibs on battling her?"

Melanie thought about it for a moment as she looked Eri up and down. The girl did appear confident in her abilities to stop them and that made her cautious, but her Pokemon didn't look too strong. Her mind told her to fight, but her gut told her to have Pierce battle. Shaking herself free of her gut feeling, Melanie stepped forward.

"I'll take her on, Pierce," Melanie answered. "You try and get those Pokemon to realize they're free."

"Fine," Pierce replied. "Don't underestimate your opponent, Melanie. Your enemy can have a weak Pokemon and still win."

"I got it, Pierce. You let me do my job and you do yours!"

Pierce sighed at Melanie being so defensive of her abilities when he's just trying to keep her on her toes. He turned around to attempt to have the Pokemon run free, but he was interrupted by a loud whoosh. Pierce lowered his arm and spotted a new face standing in between him and the Pokemon Melanie released. He immediately rested his hand on of the Pokeballs dangling from his waist.

The newcomer was a girl that looked no older than sixteen. She had shoulder length bleach blonde hair that had purple tips and an athletic build. Her clothes consisted of an open white leather jacket, dark blue tank top, grey worn pants that had various tears, blue converse shoes, and black sunglasses. She was currently mounted on top of a Flygon that had a black bandanna tied around its neck. The girl hopped off the Flygon and raised her sunglasses.

Her ice blue eyes sent an intimidating glare at Pierce who felt somewhat unnerved by the look. He shook it off and pulled out a Pokeball to prepare for a fight. The girl cocked an eyebrow at him with a look that said "You can't be serious?" Pierce glared right back at the girl who just shook her head.

"Who are you?" Pierce asked.

"The name's Vanessa," the girl replied, crossing her arms.

"Well then, what's a pretty girl like yourself doing out here?"

"I figured I would come and mop the floor with you for stealing that girl's Pokemon."

Pierce grimaced at the response and his eyes glanced at the Flygon that was glaring at him. He turned back to Vanessa and smirked again.

"What is it with kids wanting to be heroes these days?" Pierce questioned.

"I'm not being a hero. I'm just doing the right thing." Vanessa replied.

"Boldly stated, Vanessa, but I'm sorry to inform you that you just came here to lose and surrender your Pokemon."

Vanessa pulled out another Pokeball and threw it to send out her Pokemon. Pierce did the same and sent his Pokeball out to release his Pokemon for battle. Vanessa's Pokeball opened to reveal a Glaceon and Pierce's Pokeball released a Houndoom. Melanie had summoned her first Pokemon to the field as well to battle against Eri. Her first Pokemon was a Herdier.

"Hey, Melanie, let's make this interesting." Pierce suggested.

"You have my attention." Melanie replied.

"If we win, they hand over their Pokemon and we release them. If they win, we give them back the Pokemon we stole and we go on our merry way."

Eri looked at Vanessa with slight worry on whether or not they should agree to the terms. It could go one of two ways and Eri definitely didn't want to take the risk of losing her Pokemon. Vanessa looked calm and cool after hearing the proposal and turned to Eri. She gave her a friendly smile and a wink. That wink gave Eri the message that this fight was theirs to win.

"Deal." Eri nodded.

* * *

"I'll start off!" Melanie declared. "Herdier, hit that Pokemon with Take Down!"

Herdier gave a bark in acknowledgement and shot at Pino like a bullet. Pino took the hit head on and was sent airborne from the sheer power. He was able to shake off the pain and landed on his feet to glare at Herdier. Herdier winced in pain from the recoil of the attack and Eri took her chance to fight back.

"Pino, Water Gun!" Eri ordered.

Pino opened his mouth a jet of water soared towards Herdier and collided with his side. Herdier skidded back and shook off the water before running at Pino again. When he was within range, Melanie made her next call.

"Retaliate, now!" Melanie barked.

"Pino, counter it with Tackle!" Eri retorted.

Pino and Herdier met each other with their respective attacks. Both were sent back from the impact and hit the ground hard. Pino gingerly stood up and swayed from the damage that he received from Herdier's hit. Herdier, however, took most of the damage from the attack and wasn't able to get up again. Melanie blinked and raised her Pokeball, recalling Herdier. Her first Pokemon went down quick and she felt terrible for her Pokemon getting injured. She clutched the second Pokeball in her hand and looked at it with unease. Melanie was having an inner struggle with herself on whether or not to continue the fight.

"Melanie, snap out of it!" Pierce shouted to her. "Continue with the fight or we'll lose the Pokemon we stole!"

Melanie flinched at Pierce's tone of voice and sent out her next Pokemon. The Pokeball opened and revealed a Woobat flying high. She looked at Woobat as it stared down at Pino and was beginning to think of what to do next.

Meanwhile on Pierce's end, things weren't going as well as he hoped. Vanessa was proving to be a difficult trainer to fight. Her Glaceon was fast and was dishing out hits left and right. Even though Pierce had the type advantage in the battle, he was losing and he had to do something to make a comeback.

"Crystal, Ice Beam!" Vanessa commanded.

"Kuno, Flamethrower!" Pierce countered.

The attacks met midway, but Kuno's Flamethrower overpowered the Ice Beam from Crystal. Crystal tried to dodge but took a direct hit from the searing hot attack. She pushed herself off the ground and stared Kuno down before finally collapsing in exhaustion. Vanessa returned Crystal to her Pokeball and smiled down at it.

"Great job, Crystal," Vanessa thanked. "Take a nice long rest while Sora and I wrap this up."

Vanessa looked to the Flygon standing by her and nodded towards Kuno. Sora got the message and flew into the air above Kuno to gain the aerial advantage. Pierce went on the defensive as soon as Sora went airborne. A dragon type Pokemon was always a challenge to take down and he didn't have any Pokemon that could deal much damage to one. He shook his head and returned his focus to the fight at hand.

"Kuno, Fire Blast!" Pierce barked.

"Sora, Earthquake," Vanessa calmly replied.

Sora flapped his heavy wings and dropped to the ground. He brought his claws down and slammed them into the ground with frightening power. The ground trembled around the entire area before finally bursting up from under Kuno, sending him high. Vanessa continued the onslaught by snapping her fingers and pointing at Kuno as he decended to the ground.

"Finish it with Dragon Pulse." Vanessa said.

Sora took to the air once again and opened his mouth. Energy began collecting in front of Sora's mouth and started to form a swirling purple and silver ball. Once the energy was gathered, a silver beam of rotating energy was launched from the ball. The attack struck Kuno in his side and sent him to the ground hard, creating a cloud of dust from landing. When the dust cleared, Kuno was knocked out from the strong attack. Pierce raised his ball and called back his friend.

"Nice try, Kuno." Pierce praised.

"Had enough?" Vanessa asked.

Pierce looked at Vanessa and thought about her question. If he was to retreat with Melanie now, they could escape from any possible police reinforcements on the way. He turned to his partner and saw she appeared to be spacing out. At this rate there was no way she would be able to pull off a victory.

"Melanie, let's get out of here!" Pierce urged.

"What about the Pokemon?" Melanie asked, turning to Pierce.

"Forget about them! The faster we get out of here, the less chance we have of getting caught by the police!"

Melanie turned back to her Woobat that was tired from all the dodging it did. Eri had taken it upon herself to have Pino send another attack at Woobat. Melanie returned Woobat to the Pokeball just before the jet of water hit him.

"That's enough. I won't let you harm my Pokemon!" Melanie declared.

"Fine, then get out of here." Vanessa retorted.

"Let me be perfectly clear here. Team Plasma will succeed with the liberation of Pokemon. What right do you have to force Pokemon to participate in barbaric battles?"

"You're one to talk," Eri replied. "You're being a hypocrite with that statement. You just finished battling me so you could succeed in releasing Pokemon that you stole from a little girl!"

"Our goal is to have perfect harmony between Pokemon and humans where there is no battling and Pokemon aren't stuck being used as tools."

"If you're for Pokemon Liberation, then why the heck do you have Pokemon yourselves?" Vanessa interjected.

"We are using them as tools to help us reach the goal of Pokemon Liberation. Once we accomplish the goal, we will release them." Pierce replied.

Vanessa crossed her arms and shook her head at that response. Not only were they hypocrites, but they also failed to realize the true feelings of Pokemon. Once a bond is made with a Pokemon, it is never broken. The bond will remain until the end and should the trainer try to release the Pokemon, it's never that easy. Should a trainer try to release a Pokemon, chances are that if the bond is strong, the Pokemon will refuse to leave their side.

"Okay, then I'll tell you what," Vanessa began. "If you guys are for Pokemon Liberation like you say, then I invite you to take out your Pokeballs and release your Pokemon right now. I'll do the same, I mean, if that's what you'll do in the end you might as well save them the heartbreak now."

Melanie and Pierce looked at each other and then at the Pokeballs on their sides. Pierce shook his head and Melanie looked as though she was lost in thought. When none of them made a movement to do so, Vanessa smirked.

"Just as I thought. You're just blowing a bunch of smoke." Vanessa said.

Pierce was about to open his mouth to retort but was stopped when a couple police officers were being led by a man with a grey duster coat and a black cowboy hat. Seeing this, Melanie and Pierce turned and began to flee.

"Don't let them get away!" The hat wearing man yelled.

* * *

Vanessa snapped her fingers and pointed at Pierce's and Melanie's retreating figures. Sora flew after them and was closing in fast. Finally, he reached Pierce and tackled him to the ground to pin him. Melanie stopped and went to help him but one sharp glare made her stop dead.

"Just go, Melanie! Go rendezvous with Dots!" Pierce barked.

Melanie nodded and continued fleeing, sending one last glance at Pierce before vanishing from sight. Vanessa, Eri and the three officers hurried over to Pierce who was still being restrained by Sora. The man in the cowboy hat pulled out a pair of handcuffs and bound Pierce's wrists. He pulled him upright and held him by the collar of his shirt.

"Nice catch, Miss…" the man began.

"Blake. Vanessa Blake." Vanessa replied.

"Well, Vanessa, thank you for helping catch this dirtbag. Do you have the Pokemon that belong to that girl?"

"I think she does. She put them back in the Pokeballs a second ago."

The officers turned to Eri and saw her holding two Pokeballs in her hands. One officer retrieved the Pokemon and thanked Eri for helping get them back. The second officer went over to Pierce and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Hope you like small confining rooms, kid, because that's where you'll be for a long time." The officer sneered.

"Actually, that won't be necessary." The hat bearing man interrupted. "I'll be taking this guy into custody."

"And who are you to do that?"

The man sighed and reached into the pocket of his duster before fishing out a badge and ID. The officer took the ID and observed it before giving him a questioning gaze.

"What is PCTU?" The officer asked.

"PCTU stands for Pokemon Counter Terrorism Unit. Our job is to catch clowns like this guy here and prevent them from causing harm to Pokemon and the neighboring regions." The man replied.

"Very well, agent Hackleman. Take him away."

"With pleasure."

The two police officers bid farewell and went back towards town. Hackleman, Vanessa, Eri and Pierce were left alone in the clearing. Hackleman turned to face Eri and Vanessa.

"Well, thanks again for your help Vanessa." Hackleman acknowledged.

"No problem, agent Hackleman." Vanessa replied.

"Clint's the name."

"Fair enough, Clint."

Clint gave a laugh and walked away with Pierce. Vanessa and Eri stayed silent for a moment before turning to each other. Vanessa held out her hand and gave a friendly smile and Eri reciprocated.

"Well, Vanessa, I'm Eri Summer. Nice to meet you," Eri greeted, shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Eri. You aren't too shabby at battling." Eri replied.

"Thanks."

Eri heard her Xtransreceiver ringing and picked it up to answer the call. Once pressing the talk button, Eri saw Tom's face appear on the screen. He looked as though he just finished morning training as the sweat trickled down his face.

_**"Hey, Eri, sorry it took a while to get back to you. I got your message, are you okay?"**_ Tom asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I ended up getting help from someone that I'd like you to meet. Where are you now?" Eri replied.

_**"I am outside the hotel and about to clean myself up since I smell very repulsive right now."**_

"Okay, well I'll see you in a bit then."

_**"Sounds good, Eri. See you in a few."**_

There was a click as they hung up and Eri put her Xtransreceiver back in its holder. She looked back up at Vanessa who was starting to mount Sora once again. Vanessa motioned for her to hop on and Eri complied with Vanessa's gesture.

"Can you possibly fly low to the ground? I'm not one for heights." Eri requested.

"Sure," Vanessa nodded, putting her sunglasses on. "As long as you introduce me your friends."

"Deal."

Sora spread his wings once more and began hovering a few feet above the ground. Vanessa patted Sora on the back and he started flying back into town. For Eri, this was one of the longest mornings she had in a long time.

* * *

Melanie was panting hard after running away when Pierce told her to. Sweat trickled down her face as she slumped against a tree to recuperate. She heard footsteps coming and immediately tensed up at the thought of getting caught by the police. A sigh escaped her lips when she realized that it was Liam. Liam didn't say anything or bring up the fact that Pierce was not with her. He had a smirk spread across his face as he gently tapped the canisters and the Pokeball attached to his hip.

"So, how was your morning, Melanie?" Liam asked.

"We hit a snag during the mission," Melanie replied. "We attempted to steal some Pokemon and we got caught doing so.

"We? Correct me if I'm wrong, Melanie, but Pierce is no longer with you. Would you be so kind as to elaborate?"

Melanie swallowed the lump in her throat and explained to Liam the events that transpired between stealing the Pokemon and running after Pierce ordered her to. This made Liam smirk at Melanie's story and he couldn't believe how well this played out. Melanie did just as he hoped she would.

"Heh, good, this worked out almost perfectly," Liam chortled.

"What are you talking about, Dots?" Melanie probed.

"Melanie, did you really think I'd let you try to lead this mission by yourself? I saw your thirst for action and a chance to be in charge and I took advantage of that. I also know how you get when it comes to seeing Pokemon trainers and how you can't resist trying to free Pokemon."

"So you used me as your decoy?"

"Ding, ding, ding! Give the girl a prize!"

Melanie's face flushed red with anger and she stood up. She wasn't mad at Liam, she was furious with him.

"Well the joke's on you! Since you wanted to toy with me, Pierce and I were unable to get the dream dust. So this mission was a failure!" Melanie snapped.

"Was it, Melanie?" Liam asked, his grin threatening to split his face in two. "See, the philosophy of strategy in my mind is to make people watch one hand…" Liam held up an open hand to emphasize his point, "While you do the rest with this one." He held up his other hand, showing two canisters filled with purple mist and a Pokeball.

Melanie's surprised look just served as more enjoyment to Liam. He tucked the Pokeball and canisters back in his bag and crossed his arms.

"You see, in all honesty, I didn't need you or Pierce. I could have done this all on my own. I just wanted some form of entertainment and boy howdy did you provide a good show!" Liam laughed.

"Dots, let me tell you something. With Pierce captured, there's a good chance he'll cave to interrogation and reveal information that is vital to us. Now how do you think that'll go with Ghetsis and Langdon when you give your report?" Melanie asked.

"As long as the mission was accomplished I believe they could care less about losing one grunt. Now, let's return to base."

Melanie followed Liam with her eyes bearing into his back. Deep down she felt regret for leaving Pierce behind and vowed to get Liam back for what he did.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter guys, hope you enjoyed it despite how poorly layed out it was. So we finally are introduced to the final member of Tom's companions, Vanessa. I thought I should make a balance of three guys and three girls. You also got introduced to the mysterious Clint Hackleman and you are now aware of his affiliation with PCTU. I'll be working on another chapter for this and get it posted next week for an update, so hopefully that's something to look forward to. Look below here for some points and shoutouts, so, till next time guys. Later.-CaptainPrice**

**1.) Don't forget about the poll that's on my profile page. I'll most likely be looking for OCs for both stories, but I'm only doing the story that wins.**

**2.) If any of you guys have an Xbox 360 and play Xbox Live, my gamertag is on my profile page if you want to hit me up. I'll usually be playing Modern Warfare 3 or Battlefield 3. So if you want to play a game sometime send me a message saying who you are on fanfiction and we can play a few games and shoot the breeze.**

**Story Shoutouts:**

**The Pokemon Takeover: The Unova Undertaking by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**From Darkness Comes Light by PhantomStorm:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**Hard Time by The Helpless Romantic:**

**This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.**

**"Pokemon: The Final Battle" by Cyclone20: This story is focussed on a bunch of trainers that have been selected to participate in the Generation's Tournament. A place only for the best of the best trainers. Second chapter is currently up with more epicness to follow as the story rolls on. Drop in and give a review. **

**"Spiritual Bonds" by Whisper to the Moon: A story that is following a group of humans with souls of Pokemon. This story just started and has lots of potential. It's quickly becomming one of a few stories starting to emerge with humans having Pokemon powers/abilities and what not and I believe it's a good read. Drop in and give some constructive feedback.**

**"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well.**

**"Sydney's Pokemon Journey" by Hazelblossom: This story follows a girl named Sydney and her younger sister Lily as they travel on their journey. Drop in and give a read as well as some constructive comments.**


	9. The Long Awaited Rematch

**Hey guys, this is your Captain speaking and I'm pleased to say we're back with a new update for 'Rise to the Challenge' and I know it's going to be a chapter a few of you have probably been waiting for. I know one of you has probably been waiting for this one for a while, and I hope you all enjoy it. Sorry for the negativity in the last author's note last chapter, I'm not like that, but that chapter was a dificult one for me to write. Now this one was definitely easier and I know you all will probably enjoy it. So sit back, read and drop a review when you're all done. Please note the bottom author's note in regards to the poll that's on my profile page.**

**Chapter Summary: Vanessa get's introduced to the gang and begins to learn more about them. Outside of the new introduction, two trainers have the long awaited rematch that they've been wanting.**

**Songs I suggest listening to for the battle**

**1.) Kick ass by Egypt Central **

**2.) Warrior's Call by Volbeat**

**Bold- Message Bulletin/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/Xtransreceiver Conversations**_

* * *

Vanessa had Sora land in front of the hotel that Eri and her friends were staring at. Once they hopped off, Vanessa recalled Sora to his Pokeball and followed Eri inside. The two of them entered the lobby just in time to bump into Corey, Kenta and Elliott.

"Hey, Eri, we just got your call," Corey greeted. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I had help from my friend here," Eri replied, nodding at Vanessa.

"Nice to meet you all," Vanessa began. "I'm Vanessa Blake."

"Corey Spina." Corey waved.

"Elliott's my name, fighting is my game." Elliott grinned.

Kenta had a huge grin spread across his face and advanced over to Vanessa. He grabbed her hand and gave it a peck before looking her in the eyes. Vanessa had a neutral expression plastered on her face as Kenta tried to work his magic.

"Pleasure to meet you, Vanessa. I'm Kenta Hammer, ladies man extraordinaire," Kenta said with a charming smile.

"Uh, nice to meet you," Vanessa replied, wiping her hand on her pants.

Kenta smiled again and felt a wave of relief come upon him once he realized Vanessa wouldn't pummel him silly like Elliott has done so many times before. What Kenta failed to notice was the glare that Elliott was giving him from behind. Corey saw this and considered poking fun at her but decided against it after remembering what happened the last time he tried that. His stomach still had a small bruise from her fist and he was in no rush to receive another one any time soon.

_"I don't need a punch like that anywhere near my gorgeous face, thank you very much."_ Corey thought.

"So where's Tom?" Eri asked.

"He should be on his way down right now. He was taking a shower after his early morning training session." Elliott replied with a shrug.

As if on cue, Tom appeared with Sparks sitting on his shoulders. Tom glanced around to search for his friends and found them standing by the entrance. He noticed a new face among them and the world around him came to a stop. The girl before him looked beautiful, from her bleach blond hair to her electrifying blue eyes. Sparks looked at Tom and then at the girl he was eyeing. He waved his paw in front of Tom's eyes and didn't get a reaction. Sparks dragged his paw down his face and shook his head.

_"Okay, Tom, play it cool. You only have one chance to give a first impression. For the love of God, don't screw up!"_ Tom thought to himself.

He shook his head and strode over to his friends. He raised his hand in a friendly gesture to greet the new girl and gave a friendly grin.

"You must be the one that helped Eri." Tom noted.

"You guessed right," Vanessa smiled back. "So you must be Tom then?"

"Yup, I'm Tom. So what's your name, beautiful?"

"Oh, well aren't you the charmer? I'm Vanessa Blake. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Vanessa and Tom gave each other's hands a strong grip and shook. The two of them could tell that the handshake was one of confidence and strength in ability as a trainer. Kenta looked on at Tom's success at his flirting with Vanessa and felt a little bit of envy. He did something similar to Tom's method but the only difference is that Tom wasn't as forward. Corey walked up behind Kenta and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Now, Kenta, pay attention to Tom as he works his mojo on Vanessa. You might be a ladies man as you say, but you really can't be forward like that or else it's an immediate turn off for girls." Corey informed.

"Everyone's got their own style, Corey. Me? I like being a spontaneous surprise." Kenta replied.

"Yeah and how's that worked out for you so far?"

"Uh, hit and miss."

"Might want to rethink your approach then, buddy."

Corey gave Kenta a pat on the shoulder and walked over to Tom and Vanessa. He tapped his fingers on his Pokeballs as he felt his anticipation increase. Once Corey reached Tom, he cleared his throat to gain his attention. Vanessa and Tom turned to Corey and saw him spinning a Pokeball on his index finger with a cocky smirk spread across his face.

"Hate to interrupt but I've been waiting patiently for a few days now, Tom," Corey said, catching his Pokeball. "I think it's time to see which one of us is the bigger badass."

"You're on," Tom smirked back. "Let's get some breakfast first and then we'll battle. I want to be fully focused when I fight you and I can't do that if I don't have something in my gut."

Corey nodded and tucked his Pokeball away. Eri just finished going through checkout and the group departed through the revolving doors. After debating on it for a few seconds, the group decided to pay Cilan, Cress and Chili one last visit. The dinner that they had the night previously was fantastic. From the entrées down to the desert, everything was just unbelievably delicious. On top of that, everything was affordable for traveling trainers.

* * *

The group entered the restaurant after a few minutes and was greeted by Chili who was standing at the welcome podium. He grinned at seeing the trainers he and his brothers fought the day before and opened his arms in welcome.

"Good to see you all!" Chili greeted. "Back for more of our fine cuisine I take it?"

"You know it, Chili. We loved the dinner last night and now we want to have an awesome breakfast before we hit the road." Kenta replied.

"Well I'll be sure to let Cilan and Cress know that you're here for round two. Why don't you all take a seat in that booth area over there?"

Kenta led the group over to the booth that Chili pointed out and took a seat between Corey and Vanessa. Tom, Eri and Elliott sat to Vanessa's right and were adjusting to the booth to get comfortable. Chili came over with Cilan and Cress and passed out the menus for their breakfast hours. After taking the orders of what they wanted to drink, they set out to retrieve the beverages. Tom was looking down and trying to decide what he wanted and it would end up being a tossup between a ham and cheese omelet and pancakes with bacon. He felt something wet soaking through the top of his hat and hitting his fingertips. Sparks was drooling heavily with the aroma of food entering his nostrils and his eyes observing the pictures on the menu.

"Aw, Sparks, come on! Not on the hat!" Tom groaned.

"Chu," Sparks chuckled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

Sparks sat down between Tom and Vanessa as Tom pulled off his hat to determine the amount of saliva that saturated it. He shook his head and set it on top of his bag to let it dry. Vanessa giggled at the banter between Tom and Sparks and could see that she was in the presence of good and competent trainers. Cilan came back moments later with milk, water and juice to place in front of them and Cress came back with a pen and paper to take the orders. After the orders were taken, Cress and Cilan disappeared to the kitchen.

"So, Vanessa, where are you from?" Kenta asked.

"I'm from Blackthorn City," Vanessa answered. "My mom is a teacher at the local trainer's school, my dad is a researcher and my brother is a coordinator that's traveling the regions."

"Johto girl, eh? I'm from Johto too. I'm from Azalea Town."

"Cool. So where is everyone else from?"

"I'm from Nuvema Town," Eri informed, taking a sip of juice.

"Accumula Town." Elliott nodded.

"Snowpoint City," Corey said, downing the rest of his water.

"Technically I live in a farming community to the southwest between Viridian City and Pallet Town, but I'm still in Viridian City limits." Tom yawned.

"Farm boy, huh?"

"Farm boy all the way."

Vanessa smiled again as she learned more information about her newfound friends. She was about to ask another question but was cut off after Cilan, Chili and Cress came to the table holding their food. If Sparks' drooling was bad before, it was worse now. The amount of saliva that was pouring out of his mouth was that of a small waterfall. This would have continued if Tom hadn't pushed Sparks' chin up to close his mouth.

"Does he have a big appetite?" Vanessa asked, pointing at Sparks.

"Vanessa, this bottomless pit here is the reason I'm banned from eating at three restaurants back in Viridian City." Tom answered.

"What did he do?" Eri asked.

"Sparks just woke up starving one morning and he decided to do a restaurant chain dine and dash. Aw man, dad was so pissed."

"How much did he consume?"

"Somewhere around five hundred dollars."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, there goes a month of savings out the door."

The group laughed at the little story and began devouring the breakfast before them. Sparks had gone and snatched the entire platter of bacon and crawled under the table where he was followed by Shade and Pino. Apparently the pair of them weren't too happy with Sparks' greedy attitude and started growling at him in a threatening matter. Pino swiped a piece and was about to eat it, but felt an electric slap hit him across the face. Sparks stole the piece of bacon and had an insane look spread across his face. Shade and Pino looked at each other and then at Sparks with unease. Sparks cocked an eyebrow with a look saying, "Go ahead. Make my day." This led to Shade and Pino holding up their hands and backing away from Sparks who returned to eating his bacon as though nothing had happened.

Pino crawled into Eri's laps and sat still with Shade doing the same thing with Elliott. Neither trainer could figure out what scared their Pokemon, but their answer came when a loud belch exited from under the table. Sparks returned to his seat beside Tom and rested the platter on the table beside Tom's plate. He then stretched and fell to his back to take a nap.

"You know, Tom, it's probably not wise to have Sparks eat a bunch before he battles. He'll most likely puke it right back up." Corey smirked.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Tom shrugged. "Besides, what makes you think I'll use Sparks this round?"

"Because we agreed it would be Sparks and Sully against Admiral and Crusader."

"Fair enough."

"Ah, forgive my intrusion, but did you two say you were going to battle just now?" Cilan interjected.

Corey turned to see Cilan stacking their empty plates and nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, I challenged Tom to a rematch that I've been waiting for," Corey replied. "Would you be willing to let me and Tom use the arena for our battle?"

"It would be my pleasure to host your battle. You all can head over there if you wish."

"Sounds good," Tom agreed. "Thanks a bunch, Cilan."

* * *

Tom and Corey stood up and walked towards the back of the restaurant, both of them looking eager to battle. They opened the doors to the stadium and moved to take their place on the field. Corey took the opposite end and pulled out a Pokeball while Tom nodded at the arena, sending in Sparks. Knowing that would have been Tom's first choice, he decided to send in Crusader. Corey threw his Pokeball out and it cracked open to reveal Crusader.

"Corey, this will be an elimination battle. Two on two and whoever loses both Pokemon first loses the fight." Tom informed.

"Fine with me," Corey answered. "Just be sure to give us a good battle."

"I play to win, Corey. Any fight with me will be a good battle."

Kenta, Vanessa, Eri and Elliott took a seat in the bleachers to observe the fight before them. Cilan decided to ref the match and stood on the sidelines midway. Kenta turned to Elliott and smirked.

"Want to make a bet on who will win the fight, Elliott?" Kenta asked.

"Sure," Elliott smirked. "I'm betting on Tom to win this one."

"Okay and I'll bet Corey."

The two of them pulled out twenty dollars and shook hands to seal the deal. Eri shook her head at the two of them while Vanessa gave a light chuckle. Vanessa looked at Corey and Tom on the field and was wondering who would prove to be the stronger trainer that she would eventually challenge to a battle.

"So how do these two know each other?" Vanessa asked.

"They both fought each other in the final four elimination rounds at the Johto League. Tom won that fight and advanced to winning the elimination rounds and proceeded to take on the Elite Four and Lance the Champion. However, he said he lost badly against Lance." Elliott replied.

Vanessa nodded and returned her gaze to the field. She gave Tom a glance made a mental note to ask him about his fight with Lance. Being a dragon trainer herself, she wanted to one day battle Lance as her ultimate goal was to be a dragon master. She was broken from her thoughts when Crusader and Sparks charged at each other, commencing the battle.

Sparks was closing in fast on Crusader and jumped up to meet him. Corey ordered Crusader to dodge and move away from Sparks quickly to get his first attack in. Crusader quickly spun around and raised his arms and two rings of spinning stones appeared around him.

"Stone Edge!" Corey ordered.

"Sparks, counter back with Thunderbolt!" Tom countered.

Sparks landed and hurriedly turned around after storing up power. He gave a loud cry and released a large continuous bolt of lightning towards the barrage of stones. As the attacks connected, Sparks' lightning proved to be stronger than the rocks as they disintegrated from the sheer power. Once the rocks vanished, Sparks charged back at Crusader to get within range for another attack.

"Crusader, wait for my command," Corey stated, crossing his arms.

"Sparks, get in closer and prepare to attack!" Tom yelled.

As soon as Sparks was within five feet of Crusader, Corey made his move.

"Crusader, use Horn Attack and push him back!" Corey shouted.

"Sparks, keep on dodging until you see an opening and then hit him with Thunderpunch!" Tom barked.

Crusader lowered his head and began a relentless attack on Sparks, trying to hit him with his large horn. Sparks was able to weave and dodge between the sharp horn but was having trouble trying to locate an opening to hit Crusader. Crusader lunged forward in a stabbing motion with his horn and Sparks made his move. He jumped on top of the horn and sent it straight into the ground, making Crusader somersault midair. Sparks charged at him again and brought his crackling paw back. There was a loud clap of thunder as the punch connected with Crusader's back. Crusader tensed up in pain before shaking it off to engage again.

"Get in close and use Close Combat!" Corey yelled.

"Sparks, get ready to dodge again!" Tom warned.

Sparks nodded and jumped back from Crusader as he lunged at him. Crusader jumped at Sparks again and this time, he was able to land a hit. The first punch hit Sparks in the stomach and sent him in the air. Sparks opened his mouth in shock as the wind was knocked out of him. He tried to regain his senses but that wasn't able to work since Crusader was upon him once again. Another punch hit Sparks across the face and then another and another. Sparks was sent spiraling to the ground and hit it with a loud crash. The dust around the field settled and showed Sparks struggling to get up. Corey saw his chance to finish the round and took it. Sparks managed to push himself up and was swaying with pain and disorientation.

"Finish it with Hyper Beam!" Corey ordered.

Crusader landed on the ground and opened his mouth. An orange and red ball began forming in his mouth until it was large and surging with power. He absorbed the ball and took a deep breath. Tom knew the damaging blow that Hyper Beam could cause and needed to move Sparks out of the way pronto.

"Sparks, get down!" Tom yelled.

Crusader released the large beam of frightening power and sent it at Sparks. Sparks turned to see the beam closing in fast and did the next best thing he could. He rolled backwards and out of the path just in time. However, that wasn't enough. Even though Sparks avoided the direct hit, the impact of the attack was enough to destroy the area he was in previously. The force of the hit launched Sparks back and sent debris with him. He landed in front of Tom in a crumbled heap. Once he didn't move, Cilan made the call.

"Sparks is unable to battle! The round winners are Corey and Crusader!" Cilan announced.

"Sparks, I got you buddy," Tom said, picking him up in his arms. "Just sit down and take a rest. Sully and I will wrap this up."

* * *

Tom placed his backpack down on the ground and rested Sparks against it. Sparks gave a pained groan and nodded at Tom's words. He leaned against the bag and closed his eyes to take brief rest. Tom plucked Sully's Pokeball from his waist and turned back to Corey and Crusader. This would end with a quick one two knockout. He threw Sully's Pokeball into the arena and it opened, revealing the strong willed Typhlosion. Sully glared at Crusader and released a might roar, eager to wreak havoc against Corey.

"Seems like that money will be mine, Elliott." Kenta teased.

"Don't forget that Sully is Tom's ace in the hole, Kenta. This will turn around quick." Elliott replied.

Corey watched with a careful gaze as he planned his next move. He would have to wait for a bit since Hyper Beam prevents the Pokemon from moving for a short while. Crusader was trembling from the power he released earlier and narrowed his eyes at Sully. Once Cilan gave the privelage to begin, Tom wasted no time in playing his next card.

"Sully, finish Crusader off with Eruption!" Tom hollered.

Sully clenched his paws and he began to glow dark red as the power stored inside him, begging to be released. Corey grit his teeth and growled as he saw the attack Tom was bringing out. He knew the extent of the damage that the move caused if the Pokemon using it was just fresh out in the fight and he needed to take him out quick.

"Crusader, get inside his guard and use Close Combat!" Corey urged.

"Sully, hurry up and finish it! If he gets to you first, try and resist the hits as best as you can!" Tom yelled.

Crusader was almost upon Sully but he stopped dead in his tracks. Corey looked on in confusion as he pondered why Crusader stopped the attack. His answer came as Crusader gave a spasm and small chains of electricity appeared around his body. Corey's mind raced to figure out the solution and then it came to him. With Sparks being a Raichu, chances are that his static ability was passed on to Crusader when he hit him with Close Combat. His fists clenched at the sudden realization and the fact that this would be the end of the line for Crusader. Sully finished storing his power and he looked up giving Crusader a wicked grin. He gave a mighty cry as he looked at the ceiling and released the power.

The ground began to quake as Sully's power pulsed through it. Large rocks were sent airborne and Sully released a large stream of fire upward. The rocks began falling back to earth covered in the fire and turned into flaming boulders. Crusader managed to break free from the paralysis and began skittering away by flapping his wings as fast as he could. The flaming rocks whistled to the ground and made loud echoing crashes as they hit. Crusader weaved between the falling chunks of rock by watching the shadows on the ground. Just as he was about to escape the last one, paralysis took hold of him once more. He looked up and could see a large flaming boulder coming down on him. There was a loud boom as dust filled the area once again. When it cleared, Crusader lay out cold in the large crater that the rock created after crushing him.

"Crusader is unable to battle! This round goes to Tom and Sully!" Cilan said. "This leaves both battlers with one Pokemon remaining."

Corey nodded and recalled Crusader back to his Pokeball. He'd seen the move Eruption before, but never at the magnitude that Sully presented just now. The move definitely lived up to its name after it represented an actual volcanic eruption. Corey sent out Admiral's Pokeball and it opened, revealing the large penguin Pokemon. Admiral's and Sully's eyes met and they both sent each other the message they were both thinking. "You're going down." Meanwhile, back in the stands, Kenta, Eri, Elliott and Vanessa were looking at the battle with awe.

"That power was just unreal," Eri said. "I've never seen an attack like that."

"Osha!" Pino agreed with his master.

"No kidding," Kenta whistled. "That just goes to show how they made it to the final four in the Johto League."

"So, Kenta, how are you feeling about the bet?" Elliott asked.

"My statement still stands. I'm going with Corey on this battle."

"Hope you're ready to cough up then."

Back on the field, Sully and Admiral continued glaring at each other through the flames. With the fiery boulders creating a different battlefield, Corey knew he had to change it again if he wanted to make this battle turn to his favor. Cilan gave the signal to start the fight and Corey made his move.

"Admiral, use Brine on the field!" Corey ordered.

Admiral raised his head and released a large jet of water to the ceiling. The water fell back to the earth creating a small rain shower that covered the field. Tom and Sully both narrowed their eyes at Corey's tactics as he made his change to the field. The water put out the flames and created a dense mist that enshrouded the arena and that created a problem for Tom and Sully. With the mist covering the field and Admiral being a water type, he had the advantage by a longshot. Sully could no longer see Admiral and began to heighten his senses to be on the alert for any movement and attack.

"Sully, use your senses as best you can to pinpoint Admiral's location. Then get ready to attack or dodge." Tom instructed.

"Not bad, Tom." Corey complimented. "You've delivered, just like you did back in the Johto League. This time, I'm going to win!"

With that being said, Admiral moved through the mist swiftly and advanced towards Sully using the mist as concealment. Sully's head kept snapping all over the place as he desperately searched for Admiral. Taking a deep breath, Sully sat down on his hindquarters and calmly waited for Admiral to make a move. He got his wish as his senses went haywire as he detected movement to his left. Sully jumped out of the way just in time to avoid a Drill Peck. Admiral's attack hit the ground and made a loud crash as it made a small hole. Sully jumped back at Admiral.

"Sully, Flame Wheel!" Tom barked.

Sully coated himself in a fiery blaze and collided hard with Admiral making a loud thump echo around the arena. Admiral grunted in pain and pushed Sully off him using his fin. He then opened his mouth to let loose a new attack.

"Hydro Pump!" Corey yelled.

A large burst of water shot out of Admiral's mouth like a bullet and smashed directly into Sully's stomach. Sully beared his canines in pain as the powerful jet of water sent him flying to the center of the arena. He landed on his back but quickly rolled up to a defensive position. Looking around, Sully spotted a nearby bolder in a crater that had a decent sized hole in it. He felt a smirk spread across his face as he ran to the crater and dove in the boulder. All he had to do now was wait for Admiral to get in his line of sight. With silence filling the field, Admiral started to walk to the area Sully was sent from his attack and began heightening his senses to get the jump on him. Unknowingly, he stopped just in front of the boulder where Sully was hiding.

"Sully, Flamethrower!" Tom shouted.

A large stream of fire shot out from the boulder and continued to Admiral's back. Admiral wheeled around and opened his mouth, shooting another Hydro Pump at the flames. There was a loud hiss as the attacks met, creating more steam and mist for the field. Sully got a running start at Admiral and coated himself in searing flames once again.

"Flame Wheel, now!" Tom barked.

Sully slammed into Admiral's stomach headfirst and forced him to stagger back from the strong hit. Admiral took a knee as he attempted to regain his breath after having the wind knocked out of him. Tom heard the hit from across the arena and made his next play to rid the mist from the arena.

"Sully, use Flamethrower on the mist and clear it from the battlefield!" Tom ordered.

Sully gave a cry of acknowledgement and opened his mouth, sending a continuous flame at the thick fog. The force of the heat created a strong enough push to clear the mist from the field. The mist pushed out of the field and into the air, freeing the hazard of invisibility. By this time, Admiral was standing strong again and ready to attack Sully again. Corey snapped his fingers and pointed at Sully.

"Hydro Pump!" Corey yelled.

"Sully, shield yourself with Lave Plume!" Tom countered.

Sully and Admiral glared at each other as their energy built towards their attacks. Admiral's attack finished first as he launched another powerful blast of water at Sully. Sully had finished building his power and waited for Tom to make the call on the hit. Right as the attack was about to hit Sully, Tom gave the order.

"Sully, do it now!"

Sully gave another ferocious cry and released the power he stowed. The burst of flames blocked the attack and turned it into steam, but it wasn't enough to prevent a full hit. With most of the water evaporated from the heat, there was still enough water to hit Sully in the face. He gave a cry of pain as the water hit him and he fell on all fours. Admiral gave a triumphant grin as he looked down at the fallen Sully. He looked back to Corey and received a nod of recognition and turned back to Sully who was struggling to get up.

"Get up, Sully! I need you to get up!" Tom urged.

Sully heard Tom's encouraging words and felt his need to win skyrocket. He gave a growl and clenched his paws, activating his blaze ability. The flames on his neck began glowing a dark blue as his power increased from Tom's words. His growl turned into a full blown roar as he pushed himself up and sent an intimidating glare at Admiral. Corey analyzed the situation before him as Sully activated blaze and began to think of how to end the match. His best chance was to use Drill Peck on Sully's back to finish him off and decided to go with that plan.

"Sully, use Flamethrower again!" Tom barked.

"Admiral, Protect!" Corey countered.

Sully's Flamethrower had changed color from red and orange to blue and white from the blaze ability. The broiling chain of fire would've connected with Admiral's chest but a green dome appeared and caused the attack to disperse. The dome vanished and Sully sunk down on all fours again, coating his body in the blue flames as he stared Admiral down. Corey had a feeling that Tom would have Sully use Flame Wheel again and prepared Admiral to use protect once more.

"Sully, Flame Wheel!" Tom yelled.

"Admiral, use Protect again when he's in range!" Corey replied.

Sully's body was coated in the flames as he charged at Admiral all the while diverting whatever remaining power he had left to the attack. As Sully closed the gap, Admiral tried to use Protect again, but the dome didn't show up. Corey silently cursed when Protect failed and could only watch as Sully smashed headfirst into Admiral's stomach again. Admiral felt a lot of pain as the flames Sully was generating began to burn him. He glared down at the smaller Pokemon and prepared to hit him again with another attack.

"Admiral, Drill Peck, now!" Corey yelled.

Admiral's beak glowed white with power and he brought it down on top of Sully's back. Sully's eyes widened in pain as the attack landed right on his spine and he almost let up but his will helped him press on and continue generating strength into his attack. Admiral did the same as well as Drill Peck continued packing a punch on Sully's back. There was a loud boom as the attacks exploded and created a large cloud of smoke around the arena. Two loud thumps were heard and then silence filled the field once again.

* * *

**Oh yeah, that's right! I just cliffhangered your asses and you will have to wait to see the outcome of the battle. Pardon the language, but I've been waiting to give you guys a cliffhanger for a while now and I just did. This gives you time to formulate and think about who won the fight. Now I'll update again later this week and I apologize I didn't update on the normal days, IE, Friday or Saturday but I have an excuse for that. Excuse: On Friday I went to an Aranda concert (those guys freaking rocked) and Saturday I had to work. If you guys would be so kind as to read the note under this, I would appreciate it. Till next time guys. -CaptainPrice**

**Poll Status: **

**The poll on my profile page as you know by now will be closing after my next chapter for this story. The two choices are Special Forces and Humans with Pokemon Powers/Abilities. The poll is close and I will be taking OCs for both, but I want to be clear on this bit. The Special Forces story will take a little longer to write and update chapter wise because I want to be accurate as possible and I won't be taking a lot of OCs for it. I'll only be taking like nine OCs for that story. The other story will need seventeen OCs because of the types and it will be quicker to update because I won't have to do any research on it. Just bear that in mind. So I will be closing the poll after the next chapter and vote if you haven't because time is running out.**

**Birthday shoutout: Be sure to drop a happy birthday review for OwenG2107 who is now 14, if his profile is accurate. **

**Story Shoutouts:**

**The Pokemon Takeover: The Unova Undertaking by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**From Darkness Comes Light by PhantomStorm:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**Hard Time by The Helpless Romantic:**

**This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.**

**"Pokemon: The Final Battle" by Cyclone20: This story is focussed on a bunch of trainers that have been selected to participate in the Generation's Tournament. A place only for the best of the best trainers. Second chapter is currently up with more epicness to follow as the story rolls on. Drop in and give a review. **

**"Spiritual Bonds" by Whisper to the Moon: A story that is following a group of humans with souls of Pokemon. This story just started and has lots of potential. It's quickly becomming one of a few stories starting to emerge with humans having Pokemon powers/abilities and what not and I believe it's a good read. Drop in and give some constructive feedback.**

**"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well.**

**"Sydney's Pokemon Journey" by Hazelblossom: This story follows a girl named Sydney and her younger sister Lily as they travel on their journey. Drop in and give a read as well as some constructive comments.**


	10. Aftermath

**What's up readers? Well, a new chapter by the looks of it! Hey guys, just thought I'd get this posted on one of the usual update days IE (Friday and Saturday). I would've had this posted last night but I fell asleep writing it and I was also watching the Brewers finally break their 7 game losing streak and Falling Skies too. Anyway, now that the chapter's done, I would like to say that this is the final chapter that we will be seeing in Striaton City. Next chapter the gang will be out on the road again. Look below at the end author's note for the poll results, my thoughts on the Brewer game last night and I will start doing a new feature before the shoutouts, being a battle record. The battle record will show the amount of wins, losses and draws for each character. So let's get to it!**

**Chapter Summary: The outcome of Tom's and Corey's fight is finally known and the gang shows a bit of humor following the fight. Meanwhile, Liam and Melanie are reporting to Ghetsis and Langdon about the mission.**

**Bold- Message Bulletin/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/Xtransreceiver Conversations**_

* * *

The silence in the arena left everyone anxious about the end result of the battle between Tom and Corey. The power that was displayed was without a doubt astounding on both ends. Tom and Corey were without a doubt two of the strongest trainers that the group had come across in their careers. The smoke cleared and revealed Sully and Admiral both down on the ground and struggling to get up. Sully was first to his feet and Admiral quickly bolted up as well. Tom and Sully stared down Corey and Admiral with determination to win. Sully and Admiral continued glaring at each other but it soon came to an end. Sully fell to his knees and then collapsed onto the ground on his back. Cilan was about to call the match in Corey's victory but it was short lived as Admiral, too, fell to the ground and landed on his back.

"Sully and Admiral are both unable to battle. This has ended with a draw!" Cilan commentated.

"Admiral!" Corey hollered as he ran out to his team's leader.

"Sully!" Tom cried, running out to help his friend.

Corey helped Admiral sit upright as he tried to regain his bearings. Tom had Sully draped over his shoulder standing up. After Corey and Admiral stood up, they walked over to Tom and Sully to shake hands on the awesome battle. Sully and Admiral looked at each other in exhaustion and they started to chuckle which turned into full blown laughter. Tom and Corey joined in with the laughter as well and shook each other's hands with Sully and Admiral shaking paw with fin. In the stands, Kenta and Elliott looked at the twenty dollars they were holding and then at each other before pocketing it.

"Guess we'll take a rain check on this bet?" Kenta asked.

"Yeah, or you can just give me the money now and save yourself a humiliating loss down the road." Elliott replied.

"I'll take my chances."

Kenta, Elliott, Eri and Vanessa departed the stands and waltzed onto the field. The four of them were surprised to see how Tom and Corey could go from fierce battlers to acting like best friends and laughing it off as though nothing had happened. Elliott looked at their interaction and watched as they fist bumped each other and shook her head giving a sigh.

"What?" Tom asked, looking at Elliott.

"I've been alive for sixteen years and I can honestly say you two have the biggest bromance I've ever seen." Elliott stated.

"Problem?" Corey asked, giving a goofy face.

"I think she's just jealous that she doesn't have a sismance going on, Corey."

"I'm not jealous and there's no such thing as a sismance!"

"Babe, don't lie to yourself, you're jealous. And there actually is something called a sismance, just check the urban dictionary. Get up on that!"

Elliott's face turned red from a combination of embarrassment and rage as Tom said that. She did the only thing that popped in her mind and gave the hardest kick she could. Her foot was going for Tom's stomach but he moved in self-defense, which still didn't work out in his favor. Elliott's foot connected with Tom's groin, dropping him to the ground. Kenta and Corey flinched and subconsciously covered theirs as they saw their friend writhing on the ground in pain. Eri bit her lip and shook her head at Elliott's antics while Vanessa covered her mouth at the behavior Elliott had shown in response to teasing.

"I say, that's no way a lady should act!" Cilan said, looking at Elliott with disappointment.

Tom had stopped squirming since he passed out from the pain that Elliott inflicted on him. Elliott opened her mouth to retaliate but stopped and turned around in a huff. Eri sighed and pulled out an icepack from her bag and tossed it to Corey. He squatted down and placed the pack in Tom's hand before resting it over his crotch. Sparks and Sully were looking down at their master with pity and shooting glares at Elliott every now and then.

"You know, Elliott, with an attitude like that you're not going to be too successful making friends." Eri noted.

"Oh spare me the lecture, Eri. And Cilan, I hate acting like a lady, it's too tedious." Elliott replied.

"Well I respect your honesty but you really can't be doing that, Elliott," Cilan nodded. "A lot of people would frown upon your poor manners."

"Like I care."

A groan from Tom garnered everyone's attention as he regained consciousness. He opened his mouth and took a deep breath to absorb the throbbing pain. Kenta came into his sight and had supportive look on his face.

"Hey buddy, how're you feeling?" Kenta asked with a gentle voice.

"What just happened?" Tom wheezed.

"You have been kicked in the testicles."

"How did Eri's icepack get there?"

"A nurse came in a second ago and placed it there. Right guys?" Corey said, glaring at them over his sunglasses.

"Yup, she was a nice lady." Kenta and Vanessa chorused.

"Cilan, can you give her my thanks for helping me out?"

"Sure thing, Tom. Although I think she already knows you're thankful." Cilan bowed.

Tom took another deep breath and stood up, pulling off the icepack and giving a wave to Eri.

"Thanks for letting me borrow this again, Eri." Tom said.

"No problem, just burn it when you're done." Eri replied.

Everyone laughed at Eri's response as she played along with the joke and the past reference with the Scolipede.

* * *

Langdon stood beside Ghetsis as he looked at Liam and Melanie. He wasn't showing it, but he was downright furious with Liam. Before Liam left on the mission, he informed him on the two grunts he was taking for backup. When Liam came back one grunt short, Langdon had to do everything in his power to resist harming Liam. He waited for Ghetsis to set the canisters and the Pokeball that contained Munna down on the desk before he cleared his throat to gain his attention.

"What is it, Langdon?" Ghetsis asked.

"Can I speak with you privately for a moment, milord?" Langdon requested.

"Very well."

Ghetsis motioned for Liam and Melanie to stand at ease while he conversed with Langdon. The pair of them walked over to the window overlooking Striaton City to begin their conversation.

"What is it you wanted to speak with me about, Langdon?" Ghetsis asked.

"Milord, you're aware that Liam took two grunts out on the mission you assigned him, right?" Langdon questioned.

"No, I was not informed of that. Did you instruct a grunt to pass that information up to me?"

"I did, obviously that imbecile failed to do so. I'll be sure to have a chat with him later."

"So where's the other grunt that Liam had under his command?"

"That's why I wanted to talk to you, milord. I'm going on a hunch here, but I think the grunt was captured."

"I see. I need confirmation on that first, Langdon. Perhaps we can get Liam to shine some light on this."

"Yes, milord."

Liam and Ghetsis turned around and walked back over to Liam and Melanie who stood back at attention. Liam looked impassive and Melanie looked a little nervous with Langdon's and Ghetsis' eyes bearing into her. Melanie felt her heartbeat increase and she began to sweat a little under the gaze of her superiors.

"I trust your mission went well then Liam if you and your accomplices made it back?" Ghetsis inquired.

"I'd imagine our presence being the answer." Liam smirked.

"I see your tongue is still sharp as ever."

"Just for you, milord."

Melanie glanced at Liam out of the corner of her eye and was appalled at his lack of respect towards Ghetsis. She was even more surprised that Ghetsis just took Liam's manner in stride and calmly ignored his comments. Obviously Ghetsis wasn't one to fall for childish conduct.

"So, Liam," Langdon began. "Where is your other companion?"

"He should be here soon, Langdon." Liam smiled. "I chose Pierce to help me and Melanie on our mission, but he is currently running late."

"And why is he late, Liam? All of you are supposed to be here to report after you complete a mission. Unless something happened that you failed to mention to us when you were giving your report?"

"Well, he's preoccupied with a couple matters right now. Once he gets back I'll have him report and fill in the blanks."

"My patience has reached its limit, Liam. If you're lying to me I'll find out one way or another. This is your last chance to tell us the truth and I strongly suggest you do, because if you don't, it's going to be a very unpleasant day for you."

Liam narrowed his eyes at Langdon as he heard that last statement. He knew if he were to answer his question truthfully, he would be in trouble and if he were to lie, he had the chance to successfully have Melanie back him up if she was afraid of Ghetsis and Langdon.

"I am telling you the truth, Langdon. It's not my fault if your feeble mind cannot tell the difference between what is false and what is true." Liam replied.

"Wrong answer," Langdon sneered. "Melanie, I'm going to present you with the same question and I know that you're at least smart enough not to lie to me. So I ask this again. Where is Pierce?"

Melanie felt her throat go dry as Langdon's stared her down. She wasn't one to be so easily petrified with such a trivial question, but the thing that scared Melanie was Langdon's eyes. His cold onyx eyes held nothing but ruthless punishment for those that lied. She snuck a glance at Liam and saw him looking back at her with a smile, but the smile was deceitful. Looking back at Langdon she began to shift with discomfort from his gaze.

"Melanie, I'm going to count to three and if you don't have an answer by then, I will make an example of you and Liam in front of the grunts to show what happens to those who lie to their superiors." Langdon warned.

"Langdon, just calm down and I can say something." Melanie negotiated.

"One."

"Langdon, please."

"Two!"

"Okay, Liam lied!"

Melanie lowered her head and felt tears start to well in her eyes. Her hands balled into fists as she took a deep breath to recuperate. She could see that Liam's face reverted back to its neutral expression after she broke down in front of Langdon and confessed. Melanie wiped her eyes free from the tears and looked back at Langdon. He had his arms crossed as he returned her gaze.

"That wasn't so hard was it?" Langdon asked. "Now, both of you plant it in those chairs. Neither of you are going anywhere until you tell us what the hell happened this morning."

Liam refused to say anything, leaving Melanie to do the talking after cracking under Langdon's mind game. He knew they could have got away from this had Melanie just been able to suck it up and not crack under the mental pressure. As Melanie told Ghetsis and Langdon the mission piece by piece, it was easy to tell who was more furious. Ghetsis' face hadn't changed at all and remained blank. Langdon, however, looked livid. His eyes were even colder if that were possible. His intense glare looked as though it could set someone ablaze and his crossed arms were trembling with rage. Once Melanie finished the story, she could only stare at the floor after looking at Langdon's body language.

"Do you stupid fools realize what you've done?" Langdon sneered.

"No, but apparently you do," Liam replied, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "Do inform us what we did wrong, oh wise one!"

"The pair of you just painted a red X over us," Ghetsis interjected. "By doing so, the authorities will be looking for us earlier than we wanted them to. Now we have to put our plans on hold to mop up your mistake."

"Milord, with all due respect, this was one small snag. Even though Pierce was caught he won't be talking anytime soon."

"There's nothing small about this, Liam! Your stupid little thrill for amusement has jeopardized our location to a group that searches for organizations like us and they are probably seeking us now!" Langdon bellowed.

Langdon swore loudly and took a deep breath to attempt to calm down. Ghetsis opened his eyes after having them closed in meditation. He looked at Melanie and cleared his throat.

"Melanie, you are dismissed at this time," Ghetsis said, pointing to the door.

Melanie stood up, bowed and made for the exit. She stopped as she was beside Liam and turned to whisper the only thing she could to him.

"Payback sucks, doesn't it?" Melanie hissed.

Once the door closed, Ghetsis turned to Langdon and walked up to him to converse again.

"You have ten minutes to do what you want with him. Once you're done, I want you and Liam to inform everyone that we are abandoning this base and relocating to the outskirts of Castelia City." Ghetsis whispered.

"Yes, milord." Langdon replied.

Ghetsis motioned for Liam to stand up at attention before making his way to the door. Liam heard the door lock after it was closed and smirked at what Langdon was going to do. He watched as Langdon pulled off his duster and rolled up the sleeves on his uniform. Langdon cracked his knuckles as he walked over to Liam with a sinister grin on his face.

"I've been waiting a long time to set things straight with you, boy." Langdon chortled.

Liam rolled his eyes as Langdon made that comment. He smirked again and tucked his hands in his pockets.

"Is violence really your way of showing intelligence?" Liam asked.

"I don't need violence to show my intellect. I'm just trying to savor a memory that I will cherish since it was something that I have dreamed of doing for a long time." Langdon answered.

"Whatever gets you through the night, but hey, take your best shot."

There was a crunch as Langdon's fist slugged Liam across the face. The hit was so strong it sent Liam into the chair, causing it to collapse with a crash to the floor. Langdon gave a sadistic grin as he watched Liam push himself up to his knees. The next ten minutes went by and all that could be heard through the doors were the hits and an occasional grunt of pain from Liam. After the time expired, Langdon shook his hands and put his duster back on. He turned back to Liam who was on all fours as he dealt with the pain silently. Langdon had hit Liam mainly on his back and his torso but left him with a visible black eye, bloody lip and a bruised cheek. Before telling Liam about Ghetsis' order, he decided to give him some final words of wisdom. He pressed his boot down on Liam's bruised back and grinned as Liam hissed in pain.

"Now, Liam, I'm going to tell you something and if it can somehow get past your trolling personality, I'll be amazed," Langdon said, flexing his fists again.

"Oh, this should be good." Liam coughed.

"I am your boss, I have your name, I have your ass, I am smarter than you and I am stronger than you. I will always be one step ahead of you whether you like it or not. Now, should we ever and I mean ever have an incident like this again, it's going to get freaking ugly."

Langdon removed his foot from Liam's back and pulled him to his feet. He gripped Liam's collar roughly and gave him a shake. Liam stared with apathy at Langdon and gave a sigh.

"Now, clean yourself up and start informing everyone that we are moving out right now!" Langdon hissed.

"Whatever," Liam shrugged, wincing as Langdon pushed him away.

Liam left the room, leaving Langdon alone. Langdon went over to the desk and picked up the canisters and the Pokeball, pocketed them in his coat, and made his way downstairs. There was still one thing he needed to do.

* * *

Melanie came out of the bathroom and bumped into a solid mass. She looked up and found she had come face to face with Langdon. Her being tensed as she made eye contact with the taller man. This time, his eyes didn't show their cold and ruthless aura like earlier when she was with Liam. Instead, his eyes appeared calm and curious about something.

"Executive Langdon, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you." Melanie stammered.

"It's alright," Langdon said, raising a hand to stop her talking. "I wanted to ask you a question about something, Melanie."

"Uh, okay, I guess."

"Why did you join Team Plasma?"

There was a long pause while Melanie absorbed the question and tried to think of how to respond to it. She decided to just tell him the truth and her memories surfaced.

"I joined Team Plasma because of what happened to my sister, Alexandra. She was supposed to start her journey when she was twelve but she never got the luxury of even starting," Melanie began. "Two trainers were battling and one of the attacks got loose and as a result, Alexandra was badly burnt and had to go through physical therapy. I began my crusade against trainers and Pokémon being confined in Pokeballs to try and create a world of harmony. When I saw that Team Plasma was going for the same goal as me, I came here."

"I see, that is indeed quite the story," Langdon replied. "Now, I wanted to ask you this. Why are you here? If what you told me in that report was true about you not wanting to risk your Pokémon getting injured and even being uncomfortable in their presence, why are you here? We need to use our Pokémon to complete our tasks, Melanie."

"I'm not completely afraid of them. I managed to battle that trainer."

"And you still lost. Melanie, either you're afraid of Pokémon or you're not. Since you are, this has led you to having mediocre battle skills at best and you have not taken that extra step to better yourself. You are now at a crossroads, Melanie."

"What are these paths?"

"The first path is you leave Team Plasma and release your Pokémon, because if you cannot operate as a crook and trainer to help complete the goals, you are of no use to us. The second option is you put aside your pathetic phobia and embrace your Pokémon as a trainer and crook and improve your battling skills so you aren't a liability to us. That way you can succeed in your dreams of making Pokémon trainers vanish completely."

"I, I'm not sure what to choose."

"That's exactly my point. You're not even sure what you want to do. The choice is yours, Melanie. Just remember that if you want to reach that goal, you need to overcome something you're afraid of."

With that, Langdon turned on his heel and disappeared into the bustling crowd of grunts as they ran up and down the hall. Melanie watched the grunts as they moved around the halls and rooms, scrambling to pick up everything that was essential to them. She plucked her Pokeballs from her waist and looked at them.

_"Which path should I take?"_ Melanie pondered.

* * *

**Alright guys, that's the chapter. Hope you all had a couple laughs with it and I hope you all liked the Team Plasma bit. I feel I may have crossed the line a little with Langdon, but I guess you'll be the judge of that. Now, like I said, the group will be on the road again next chapter so I hope you're looking forward to that. Check out the infor below here when you're done and I'll see you next time guys. Later. -CaptainPrice**

**Poll Result: This was a very close poll guys, but it ended like this**

**1.) Special Forces: 11 votes, Humans with Pokemon Powers/Abilities: 11 Votes**

**The vote was a draw, sooo this is what I'm going to do. I'll upload chapters for both new stories next week and I'll be taking OCs for both. PM me when the stories are up if you are interested in sending one and we'll talk then. **

**Thoughts on the Brewer game last night. Mike Fiers is the man, without a doubt. That guy can pitch and I really enjoy watching him do so. I'm also a little sad since last night we made the trade that everyone has been talking about. Zack Greinke was traded to the LA Anaheim Angels and in return we get three players. I'm holding out hope that Greinke comes back if the opportunity presents itself because he is in my opinion, one of the best pitchers out there.**

**Battle Record: W:L:D (Wins, Losses, Draws)**

**Tom: 3:1:1**

**Corey: 2:0:1**

**Kenta: 1:1:0**

**Elliott: 1:1:0**

**Eri: 1:0:0**

**Vanessa: 1:0:0**

**Story Shoutouts:**

**The Pokemon Takeover: The Unova Undertaking by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**From Darkness Comes Light by PhantomStorm:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**Hard Time by The Helpless Romantic:**

**This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.**

**"Pokemon: The Final Battle" by Cyclone20: This story is focussed on a bunch of trainers that have been selected to participate in the Generation's Tournament. A place only for the best of the best trainers. Second chapter is currently up with more epicness to follow as the story rolls on. Drop in and give a review. **

**"Spiritual Bonds" by Whisper to the Moon: A story that is following a group of humans with souls of Pokemon. This story just started and has lots of potential. It's quickly becomming one of a few stories starting to emerge with humans having Pokemon powers/abilities and what not and I believe it's a good read. Drop in and give some constructive feedback.**

**"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well.**

**"Sydney's Pokemon Journey" by Hazelblossom: This story follows a girl named Sydney and her younger sister Lily as they travel on their journey. Drop in and give a read as well as some constructive comments.**


	11. Sawk'd in the Jaw

**Hey guys, here's the Captain with a weekly update for 'Rise to the Challenge.' I hope you all enjoy this chapter since I believe I lost a couple readers after the latest one, so might as well try to post and have others enjoy the story. I also took the liberty of posting my newest Pokemon story, Humans w/ Pokemon Powers/Abilities. I've got info on that at the end of the chapter and I also got the usual story shoutouts and what not as well, so be sure to take a look at that when you're done with the chapter.**

**Chapter Summary: The gang has now left Striaton City and are now on their way to Nacrene City towards their second gym badge for the Unova League. Like every journey on the road, crazy things happen in between.**

**Song Suggestion: The song I imagined Tom is listening to in this chapter is Last Call by Atom Smash**

**Bold- Message Bulletin/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/Xtransreceiver Conversations**_

* * *

Tom and Sparks were walking ahead of Elliott, Kenta, Vanessa, Eri and Corey. The two of them were slowly walking due to Tom's limited mobility after Elliott inflicted heavy damage to his groin. He was trying to drown himself in his large selection of rock music but even that wasn't doing much. The silence was starting to become annoying for Elliott and she gave a frustrated sigh.

"Okay, Tom, how much longer are you going to give me the silent treatment?" Elliott called out.

"I don't know, Elliott. How many more times are you going to kick me in the jewels on this trip?" Tom replied.

"As long as you keep calling me babe and teasing me, I think that answer is a given."

"You know, Elliott, I think you need to develop a better sense of humor. It'll help you learn how to take jokes." Eri suggested.

Elliott scoffed and folded her arms as she heard the comment.

"The day I get a sense of humor is the day I willingly go on a date with Kenta." Elliott declared.

"Don't suppose you can hurry up on that then?" Kenta grinned as he looked at her.

"Kenta, I swear to God, if you don't step away from me right now, I cannot be held responsible for what I may do to you."

Kenta held up his hands as Elliott cracked her knuckles and walked a few feet ahead. Elliott sighed and puffed her cheeks as she attempted to calm down. Usually she would go and take her frustration out on the nearest object, but she decided to take some of Eri's words to heart. Instead, she started to take a couple deep breaths and began thinking happy thoughts. The thought being her punching Kenta hundreds of yards away. A large smile spread across her face as she played it over and over again in a loop.

"Ah, the laws of physics can really be fun in the imagination." Elliott sighed.

"Do I even know what's going through that head of yours?" Eri asked.

"No, you don't want to know."

"All I know is that it involves me somehow," Kenta added. "She just can't get enough of me."

Elliott waltzed up to Kenta and drove her fist down on top of his skull. Kenta went rigid as he spaced out from the hit. Vanessa, Eri, Corey and Elliott all stopped to wait and see if Kenta would move again. They got their answer as he grabbed his head and squatted on the ground in pain. Elliott nodded and whistled a tune as she walked away. Corey and Eri shook their heads and took after their short tempered friend. Vanessa crouched down by Kenta and put a hand on his shoulder. She wasn't too fond of Elliott's attitude to Kenta, but she had to agree that Kenta was acting like a smartass.

"Are you okay?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, just need to wait for the birds to stop flying around my head." Kenta muttered.

Kenta took a deep breath and stood up. He grinned and started to walk back up to Corey, Eri and Elliott. Vanessa kept her gaze on Kenta and was curious as to how he couldn't get mad at Elliott for hurting him and just laugh it off like he did.

"Kenta, how can you just let Elliott beat you up like that and then shrug it off?" Vanessa whispered. "I definitely wouldn't be taking it as well as you are right now."

"Trust me, I'm not," Kenta answered, his demeanor becoming serious. "I just hide it well by playing the happy-go-lucky guy. I'm not one for projecting anger since it gets nowhere and I would be no better by taking it out on a friend."

He sighed as he looked at Elliott's back and watched as she and Shade scanned the surroundings. Vanessa frowned as she looked at Kenta. She enjoyed Kenta's jokester personality and it wasn't fun seeing him down in the dumps. Her brain sparked as an idea to cheer him up formed in her head.

"So, I guess you're one for being bold when it comes to breaking the ice with a girl?" Vanessa smirked.

"Aw, Vanessa, you have no idea. I've melted the hearts of many girls around Johto with my great charisma," Kenta beamed, puffing out his chest.

Vanessa giggled a little bit as she saw Kenta's mood do a complete flip. It was good to have Kenta back to his old goofy self. She gave Kenta a pat on the back and walked ahead to walk beside Eri and Corey. Kenta looked at Vanessa and smiled to himself. In just a short amount of time, Vanessa managed to cheer him up with a small conversation in something he enjoyed doing.

_"Thanks, Vanessa."_ Kenta thought.

The group watched as Tom and Sparks were jamming to the music that was blaring out of Tom's headphones. They were both strumming an invisible guitar as they walked, completely absorbed in their activity. This would have continued if some sudden movement to Tom's right caught his attention. He stopped and looked at the spot where the bush rustled moments before and waited for something to appear. His hand reached for his Pokedex and prepared to scan the first thing he saw. The bushes shook again and a small green snakelike Pokémon made itself known. Tom pointed his Pokedex at the Pokémon and Dexter kicked to life.

_**"Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokémon. It is very intelligent and calm. Being in the sunlight makes its movements swifter. They also photosynthesize by bathing their tails in sunlight and when they are not feeling well, their tails droop."**_ Dexter informed.

Tom locked eyes with the Snivy and received a glare in return. He felt a smirk form on his face as he concluded that this Pokémon would make a great addition to his team. Looking down at Sparks, he received a determined nod in return. Sparks went and stood between Tom and Snivy, waiting for Snivy to make a move. When it didn't move, Sparks pounced at Snivy to try and land a hit. However, he was met with a quick dodge and then a stinging sensation. Snivy began spinning on its tail and kicked up a tornado of leaves. Sparks shielded his face from the leaves and Snivy took the opportunity to run.

Sparks shook his head clear of the leaves and dashed after Snivy. Tom hurtled over the bush and bolted after Sparks and Snivy, hot on their heels. This of course led to the group hurrying after their ambitious friend.

"Tom, wait up!" Corey yelled, running into the thicket.

"Oh, come on!" Elliott groaned, following Corey.

"Here we go again…" Eri sighed.

"Hey, wait for us!" Kenta and Vanessa hollered.

* * *

Corey had only made it so far into the woods and hunched over to catch his breath. There was no way he could keep up with Tom and Sparks. The pair of them were just too fast and they were nowhere in sight. His face dripped with sweat and he stood up, resting his hands on the back of his head to regain his breath. Elliott burst through the bushes and swerved out of the way to avoid slamming into Corey. She tripped and fell face first in the dirt.

"You okay?" Corey asked.

"I'd be better if you didn't block my way," Elliott said, spitting out some grass.

"Sorry, I'll be sure to clear the way next time your highness."

Elliott growled at Corey's comment and was about to give him a piece of her mind. She turned around and prepared to throw a punch but something caught her eye. A tall blue Pokémon wearing some sort of Karate outfit stood behind Corey. Her eyes lit up in excitement as she recognized the famous fighting type. Corey noticed Elliott's thrilled expression and looked at the Pokémon she had her eyes on. It got more interesting as Elliott pulled out a Pokeball and got ready to throw it.

"Hey guys, have you found them yet?" Kenta hollered, appearing from the trees.

Kenta's outburst made Elliott mess up on her throw. The Pokeball soared toward a tree and bounced off, hitting the Sawk in the face. The ball opened and sucked in the surprised Pokémon before falling to the ground. Elliott clenched her fists and kept her eyes fixated on the ball as it wiggled. Kenta noticed this and closed his mouth to refrain from adding to the tension. The ball snapped open and the Sawk reappeared, straightening its uniform and glaring at the three of them. The now infuriated Sawk was giving them a glare that would probably make hell freeze over. Corey decided to try and make peace with the Pokémon.

"We should probably try and calm it down now. Elliott, you should have weakened him first before trying to catch him. Now that he broke free, he's going to be pissed." Corey said.

"No, really? I thought that look he was giving us was one of joy," Elliott spat back, glaring at Corey.

"So what should we do?" Kenta asked.

"I want to catch it."

"I say we try and calm it down."

"That's a good idea, give him hell, Kenta."

Corey finished his statement and slapped Kenta on the back. Kenta's face became one of resentment.

"Why do I have to be the test dummy?" Kenta asked.

"Well you are good at making friends with humans, what can be so different with a Pokémon?" Corey replied.

"There's a difference if the Pokémon wants to kick the living tar out of you!"

"Just suck it up and go do it you big baby!" Elliott snapped.

Kenta fought back a response and took a deep breath. Turning on his heel, he started to walk over to the Sawk. He stopped and turned around, looking Elliott and Corey in their eyes.

"When I die, you stay away from my funeral." Kenta stated.

With that being said, Kenta continued his trek towards the angered Pokémon. As he got within range, he locked eyes with Sawk and gave a friendly smile. Sawk looked mildly surprised at the friendly nature Kenta displayed as he held his hand out for a shake. Sawk raised his hand and hesitated to take Kenta's as he looked at him once again.

"Hey buddy, I'm not going to hurt you. Let's just shake on it and be on our merry way." Kenta smiled.

Sawk took Kenta's hand and squeezed it hard. Kenta's face scrunched up in pain as his hand was being crushed by the strong Pokémon. It got worse as Sawk spun him around and gave him an atomic wedgie. Kenta's mouth opened in a silent scream of pain as his underwear was pulled so hard he was lifted off the ground. Corey flinched and Elliott had to stop herself from bursting out laughing. A Pokémon that would give wedgies to Kenta on command was a keeper in her book.

"Kenta, buddy, are you alright?" Corey asked.

"No, I'm not okay!" Kenta yelled back.

Sawk gave a mighty throw and sent Kenta through the air and into some nearby bushes. Kenta gave a groan as he hit the ground and began to readjust his undergarments. He made a mental note to himself about not teasing Elliott as much if she managed to catch Sawk. Kenta was suddenly hit with the realization that this made him and Tom even when it came to being attacked by a Pokémon.

_"Karma sucks,"_ Kenta thought, standing up gingerly.

"Alright, Sawk, I challenge you right here and now!" Elliott declared.

Sawk turned to Elliott and nodded as it sunk into a battle stance. Elliott pulled out another Pokeball to release Stronghold to battle. She threw the ball and it opened with a crack, revealing the muscular beam wielding Pokémon. Stronghold flipped its beam in the air and caught it, giving a taunting gesture to Sawk. Sawk narrowed his eyes at Stronghold and jumped at him with his hand glowing white. Elliott recognized the Brick Break and snapped her fingers, making Stronghold raise his post to block the attack. Stronghold's knees sunk a little as Sawk's attack was proving to be stronger.

"Stronghold, push Sawk's Brick Break back and hit him with Force Palm!" Elliott ordered.

Stronghold gave a hard shove and managed to push Sawk off. He brought back his hand and sent a hard open palm hit at Sawk. Sawk swerved to the right to avoid the hit and struck back with Brick Break. The attack hit Stronghold in the side and made him drop his guard in pain. Sawk continued his attack with a Low Sweep and kicked out Stronghold's feet from under him. Stronghold landed on his back and rolled out of the way to avoid another hard hit. He jumped away to put some distance between him and Sawk so he could get time to get an attack going.

"Stronghold, use Bulk Up!" Elliott commanded.

Stronghold stabbed his beam into the ground and began flexing his muscles to pump himself up for an upcoming attack. Sawk jumped at Stronghold again and got a Brick Break ready to strike.

"Stronghold, resist the hit and then use Force Palm!" Elliott yelled.

Stronghold puffed his chest out and absorbed the Brick Break with ease. Sawk blinked as his attack failed to deal harm to the smaller Pokémon and found himself skidding back as Stronghold smashed his palm into his stomach. He bent down to recover from the damage, giving Elliott and Stronghold enough time to unleash another attack.

"Rock Slide, go!" Elliott barked.

Stronghold stabbed his post into the ground and sent broke it open, sending large chunks of rock into the air. He jumped up with his beam and gave a large swing. The rocks soared at Sawk and forced him to maneuver around them. He ducked under the large rocks and failed to see Stronghold jumping at him with his palm glowing white. As Sawk managed to get eyes on Stronghold, it was too late to block the hit. The Force Palm struck Sawk in the chest and made him double over in pain. He quickly fought off the pain and gave a swift kick into Stronghold's cheek. Elliott bit her lip at the sudden attack and hoped that Stronghold would be able to pull off a win with the damage he took just now.

"Man this Sawk is really tough," Corey commented.

"Why do you think I'm trying to catch it?" Elliott replied.

"I honestly thought it was because it gave you the chance to torment Kenta down the road."

"Real cute. Now, Stronghold, hit him with Chip Away!"

Stronghold pushed himself back up after regaining composure and leapt at Sawk with his beam. As he closed the gap, he used one arm to swing the post upward and hit Sawk in stomach again. He was sent airborne from the hard hit and towards a tree. The tree gave a violent shudder as Sawk crashed into it. He hit the ground and didn't move a muscle. Elliott saw her chance and took it. She plucked the Pokeball she used earlier from her waist and launched it at the downed Sawk. The ball opened as it hit Sawk on the shoulder and sucked him in once again. It closed tight and fell to the ground and started to wiggle as Sawk tried to break free. Elliott and Stronghold glared at the Pokeball as it squirmed, eager for it to stop moving. After what seemed like an eternity to Elliott, the ball gave a click, signaling the capture of her newest Pokémon.

Elliott grinned broadly and jumped in joy. She hurried to the Pokeball with Stronghold by her side and picked it up. Words couldn't describe the joy of capturing her newest Pokémon as she spun the Pokeball on her index finger.

"Nice job, Stronghold! Not only did you get stronger with this fight, you also helped us gain a new teammate!" Elliott praised, as she hugged her oldest Pokémon.

"Nice job with capturing that Sawk, Elliott." Corey nodded.

"Thanks."

"So are you going to give him a nickname like you did for Shade and Stronghold?" Kenta asked.

"Yup, I'm going to call him Ace."

"Taking a leaf from my nickname tree, eh? Well, that's fine. Just be sure to remember that you don't use him when I use Ace for a battle against you or if we do a double battle."

Elliott rolled her eyes as she attached the Pokeball to her waist. Ace was a cool nickname and is a name that a lot of trainers use. She shook her head as she returned Stronghold to his Pokeball and picked up Shade in her arms. The sounds of footsteps and crunching twigs announced the arrival of Vanessa and Eri as they made their way into the clearing.

"What was all of that commotion earlier?" Eri asked.

"Elliott just caught a Sawk." Kenta replied.

Eri pulled out her Pokedex and started typing the name into the keypad to locate the Pokémon Kenta mentioned. Pino pressed his paw down on the Pokedex and managed to stop the scrolling search right on the Pokémon Eri was seeking.

"Aw, thank you, Pino," Eri smiled, rubbing his head.

"Osha." Pino blushed at the praise.

_**"Sawk, the Karate Pokémon. The sound of Sawk punching boulders can be heard all the way from the mountains where they train. It is said that tying their belts gets them pumped up and makes their punches more destructive. Disturbing their training angers them. When encountering Sawk, do not interrupt its training unless you have a Pokémon that can go toe to toe with it. I cannot stress that enough."**_ Dexter said.

"Guess that's why it attacked us in the first place," Corey nodded. "Elliott must've disrupted Sawk's training when she hit him with the Pokeball."

"Hey, I still caught it!" Elliott countered.

"I hate to interrupt this conversation, but have you guys seen Tom and Sparks?" Vanessa asked.

"No, we stopped chasing them since we were all worn out. Holy cow, they can really run if they want to." Kenta answered.

"Well we should go find him," Eri said, walking away towards the heart of the woods. "Wouldn't be good to leave without him since he has the map and I think he's the only one who knows the way to Nacrene City."

The five of them went to search for their two friends and knew they had to hurry. The sky was darkening with storm clouds and they had to seek shelter soon to avoid getting soaked from the rain. Thunder rumbled in the distance and Vanessa gave a startled jump. Kenta noticed this and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Kenta asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not so good with thunderstorms." Vanessa grimaced.

"Well, if you want you can hold my hand if you're scared."

"I'll keep that offer in mind, Kenta. Thank you."

* * *

Another loud boom echoed overhead and Vanessa quickly grabbed Kenta's hand for support. Kenta gave Vanessa a gentle pat on the shoulder, but deep down inside he was doing his happy dance. Rain started to pelt the group and they began to run to find the nearest cave or house they could come across.

"I've never seen a rainstorm like this before and it just came out of nowhere!" Eri hollered.

"I know, it's crazy!" Corey cried back.

A blinding flash of lightning stopped the group in their tracks. Kenta shielded his eyes as he looked at the sky and his eyes spotted a silhouette inside a thunderhead. The shadow looked as though it was sitting on a small cloud.

"Guys, look at that!" Kenta yelled, pointing at the creature.

_"What is that?"_ Eri thought, pointing her Pokedex at the creature.

_**"Thundurus, the Bolt Strike Pokémon. No further data is available."**_ Dexter informed.

"No data? What the hell?" Elliott muttered, looking at the Pokémon. "What kind of Pokémon is that?"

"Guys, can we please find some shelter? It's dangerous in this weather!" Vanessa pleaded.

Eri pocketed her Pokedex and began running again to try and find a nearby cave. They kept on running and after five minutes, Corey spotted an old cabin. He immediately began ushering the group to the cabin to take cover. After banging on the door a couple times and receiving no answer, Corey gave a hard kick and the door flew open. All of them hurried inside and Corey shut the door behind them.

"Alright, since Tom's not here right now, I guess I'm in charge," Corey said, shaking his hair free of the rain. "Alright, find a room and change into dry clothes quick. I'll try to get a fire going."

Corey watched his friends take to the rooms to carry out his request and he made his way to the fireplace. He opened the vent and found some logs sitting by the side of the hearth. He grabbed some logs and chucked them into the pit and started rummaging through his bag to find lighter fluid. Eri, Vanessa, Elliott and Kenta came out of their rooms and gathered around the fireplace after Corey doused the logs with the flammable substance. He struck a match and a fire burst to life in the fireside. With his friends taken care of, Corey changed his clothes and sat by the fire as well. They felt the thunder shake the cabin and could hear the rain crashing down on the roof.

"I hope this storm lets up soon. Tom's out there by himself," Eri said, clearly worried for her friend.

"I don't think this will clear up soon and with the time it is now, it'll be late. I think it's best to wait here until morning." Corey replied.

"I have to agree with Corey on this one." Elliott nodded.

"Don't worry, Eri. Tom's dad probably gave him additional military training outside of KNAMA. I'm sure he'll be fine." Kenta assured.

"I guess you're right."

Another loud clap of thunder shook the house and Vanessa jumped in surprise again. Kenta wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she quickly relaxed. Neither Kenta nor Vanessa noticed it, but Elliott was giving them a long glance from the corner of her eye. Eri looked out the window and into the stormy sky.

_"Tom, be safe."_ Eri thought.

* * *

Five miles away from the cabin, Tom and Sparks were running to find shelter. The storm came up upon them just as Tom managed to capture the Snivy. Tom slipped and rolled down a small hill through the mud. Sparks hurried down to him and pushed his shoulder as encouragement to get up. Tom gave a grunt and pushed himself off the waterlogged ground. He winced as he attempted to move his foot and could tell that it was sprained, but not enough to prevent him from walking. Lightning illuminated the wood around him and his eyes could make out a hollow in a nearby tree.

"Over there, Sparks! Come on!" Tom grunted.

Tom limped over to the tree and dove into the large hole. Sparks shook off the water and rested against the trunk of the tree. Tom started rummaging through his bag for his rain poncho. Granted they were out of the rain, it would keep them warm until the storm ended. He finally pulled out a camouflaged poncho and wrapped it around himself and Sparks. Tom set his bag down like a pillow and rested his head on it to take a nap. Sparks did the same and continued to shiver inside of the poncho. Tom chuckled and hugged Sparks to him so he could keep him warm.

"There you go buddy. Does that feel better?" Tom asked.

"Chu." Sparks nodded.

"Alright, try to get some sleep. We still need to find the gang before we continue to Nacrene City."

Sparks gave a mumbled response back as he dozed off. Tom continued to watch the light show the lightning gave and listen to the sounds of the storm until he fell asleep.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter guys, hope you enjoyed it. I kept Tom out of this chapter for the most part since I know that you guys are getting sick of reading about him and want to see more scenes with the other OCs sooo yeah, there you go. Now I said last week that I was posting both stories since they tied in the poll, but I decided to go with the humans with Pokemon powers/abilities. I have the story on my profile page now, it's called 'Rise of the Hybrids' and I AM taking OCs, so if you're interested, check out the story, read and review, and go fill out the form that's on my file. So till next time guys. See you later. -CaptainPrice**

**Story Shoutouts:**

**The Pokemon Takeover: The Unova Undertaking by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**From Darkness Comes Light by PhantomStorm:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**Hard Time by The Helpless Romantic:**

**This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.**

**"Pokemon: The Final Battle" by Cyclone20: This story is focussed on a bunch of trainers that have been selected to participate in the Generation's Tournament. A place only for the best of the best trainers. Second chapter is currently up with more epicness to follow as the story rolls on. Drop in and give a review. **

**"Spiritual Bonds" by Whisper to the Moon: A story that is following a group of humans with souls of Pokemon. This story just started and has lots of potential. It's quickly becomming one of a few stories starting to emerge with humans having Pokemon powers/abilities and what not and I believe it's a good read. Drop in and give some constructive feedback.**

**"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well. Just updated on 8/3/2012.**

**"Sydney's Pokemon Journey" by Hazelblossom: This story follows a girl named Sydney and her younger sister Lily as they travel on their journey. Drop in and give a read as well as some constructive comments.**


	12. Renegade

**Hey guys, Captain here with another update for Rise to the Challenge. I'm really sorry I didn't get this out on Friday or Saturday, but I was busy and feeling a little under the weather. Just trying to get everything sorted because I'll be moving some of my stuff to my apartment this week which may put a delay in another update for the week. I'm also going on one last vacation with my folks this weekend so I may not update again since this is my second to last week before I go back to college to start my junior year where I'll be busy as hell with chain of command stuff and school, so just fair warning. I'll try to get another chapter out this week, but if I don't, you now know the reason. Stay tuned for the authors note at the bottom of the chapter with the usual info and I hope you enjoy the chapter guys.**

**Song Suggestion: Renegade by Styx (Play this with the last section with Pierce)**

**Bold- Message Bulletin/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/Xtransreceiver Conversations**_

* * *

Corey had woken up early that morning and stared out the window. The rain was still coming down hard and an occasional rumble of thunder would echo outside and shake the house. He knew that they had to find Tom quick if they wanted to get to Nacrene City as soon as possible. The only problem was that they had no idea where he was and they had been unable to contact him through the Xtransreceiver. This left the group with no choice but search for him through the woods and that alone would be a challenge. Corey was broken from his thoughts of how to progress and search for Tom when Kenta appeared by his side.

"So what are you thinking, Corey? How do you want to search for Tom?" Kenta asked.

"I have two possible suggestions, but I'll wait for Eri, Elliott and Vanessa to discuss them. I want to get everyone's opinion on the gameplan before we start." Corey replied.

"Good idea. I'm sure both of your ideas are pretty good, but hopefully Tom will try and take steps to find us as well."

"He's a big boy, I'm sure he knows what to do."

Kenta nodded in agreement and turned around when Eri, Elliott and Vanessa came up to them. Corey clapped his hands together and requested everyone to take a knee. He pulled out a small makeshift map and presented it to the group. The map had a crude cabin drawing and treelike shapes all over the paper. Elliott snorted at Corey's poor drawing and was about to poke fun at him, but stopped when Corey pulled out a pencil to start marking the paper.

"Alright, as you can see before you is my artistic attempt of drawing a map of our current location and the surrounding area," Corey began, pointing the pencil at the cabin. "We are here at this cabin. Now the trees around the cabin represent the woods along the route here."

"So what's the plan?" Eri asked.

"I'm getting to that, so hold all questions until the end."

Eri nodded and returned her focus to the map. Corey cleared his throat and traced the woods with the pencil.

"Now, the woods here fall just short of the Nacrene City limits. We all saw Tom chase after that Snivy and he was really hauling ass to try and catch it. My guess is he's within a five to ten mile radius of the cabin here. He may be fast, but there's no way he would've gone further than that with that thunderstorm from last night." Corey informed.

"Good point. So that leaves the possibility with him camping in a cave or something." Vanessa nodded.

"Right, now this brings me to the plan of approach here. Chances are Tom may be searching for us right now, but if he's followed the rules of survival then he may have stayed put as well. If that's the case, the two plans I have are the following. Plan one was having Ace try and pick up Tom's scent and then try to track him down. The second plan was to have Vanessa use Sora and do an aerial search from above the trees."

"Whose Ace are you referring to?" Elliott asked.

"Obviously I was referring to Kenta's Joleton. He can pick up a scent with his nose."

"Well excuse me."

"Now, I wanted to see what you guys thought of those two plans. We'll go with the one that has the majority vote."

Corey fell silent as he waited for his friends to come to a decision on their vote for the plans Corey had given them. Both of them were good plans, but they each had a small problem. If they were to go with using Vanessa to get an aerial view to search for Tom, her vision would be limited with all of the trees blocking the forest floor. The first plan would be difficult as well because the rain would have washed away any possible scent on Tom and it would be hard for Ace to locate him.

"I say we go with option one," Kenta said, looking at Corey. "Granted there will probably be close to no scent to track him, but I know Ace can find him."

"I'll have to agree with Kenta, Corey. As much as an aerial vantage point would help, there'll be little visibility from the air." Vanessa agreed.

"I'm going with option one as well." Eri nodded.

"Alright, that's a majority," Corey said, standing up and pocketed the map.

The five of them hoisted up their bags and double checked to see if they had everything. After confirming that everything was accounted for, they departed the cabin and started to head back to the area where Tom ran from them yesterday.

* * *

It took them just under an hour to locate the spot where they separated from Tom and it started to rain hard again as well. This made Corey scowl since it would make Ace's job more difficult and would consume more time since they would have to move slowly to get a trace of any scent Tom left through the woods. Kenta pulled out Ace's Pokeball and threw it in the air.

"Come on out, Ace!" Kenta commanded.

The ball opened with a snap and a white glow took the shape of a Jolteon. Ace gave a happy bark at being let out of the confining device and stretched himself out to get ready. He turned to Kenta and sat down waiting for his next order.

"Hey, Ace, we need your help today," Kenta said, squatting down by his longtime partner. "We got separated from Tom yesterday and we need your help to help track him down. You up for it?"

Ace gave another happy bark and stood ready to sniff the ground. Kenta nodded to give Ace the go ahead and he immediately went to work. Ace pressed his nose to the ground and began sniffing to pick up any fragrance that Tom may have left behind. Five minutes had passed and Elliott was beginning to grow impatient with the waiting. She had her hands on her hips as she tried to refrain from saying anything to Kenta. Another minute went by and she finally had enough. Elliott strode over and jabbed him in the chest with her fingers.

"I thought you said Ace could pick up the scent? Were you just blowing smoke?" Elliott demanded.

"I wasn't lying, Elliott. Now stop poking me in the chest, shut-up, and be patient by giving Ace some time!" Kenta snapped back.

Elliott's face had a look of surprise and then it quickly turned red with anger. She never thought that Kenta would have the guts to retaliate back with anger, but was proven wrong when he just did. She crossed her arms as she glared at him and received one in return. Vanessa and Eri saw this and stepped in front of the pair of them. Vanessa put a hand on Kenta's shoulder and Eri crossed her arms and gave a disappointed look at Elliott.

"What're you looking at?" Elliott sneered.

"Don't take that tone with me, Elliott. If you paid attention to the choices we had, you would have heard that the rain would have erased any trace of a scent, so that is going to make it harder for Ace to find it. Now calm down and apologize to Kenta. You had no right to go off on him like that!" Eri snapped.

Elliott and Eri continued their stare down as they waited for each other to make a move. Vanessa was trying to give whatever support she could to Kenta to calm him down. This was the first time Kenta released any form of anger in front of the gang and it was something that surprised them. Every person only has so much patience and Kenta finally lost his with all of Elliott's torment. Quite frankly, Corey, Eri and Vanessa couldn't blame him for acting the way he did. Kenta had the patience of a saint and held his anger in longer than any of them would have been able to.

"Just ignore her, Kenta. She's just cranky." Vanessa soothed.

"When is she not ornery?" Kenta muttered back.

Vanessa giggled at Kenta's remark and gave him a comforting pat on the back. Elliott turned away in a huff and stomped away from Eri, not willing to talk with her any further. Corey sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

_"This is such a drag. Tom, for the love of God, you better get back here or I'm going to lose my freaking mind with these guys."_ Corey thought.

Ace took his piercing glare off of Elliott and resumed his search for Tom's scent. He got a whiff of an odor that smelled familiar to a Raichu. He turned and gave a bark and started to follow the fragrance with his nose pressed to the ground. Kenta hurried up to his partner and stayed by his side as they began tracking down Tom and Sparks. Corey, Eri and Vanessa followed close behind Kenta and Ace as they led the way. Elliott waited until the group was several feet ahead before heading after them. She was in no mood to talk so she decided to hang back from them.

* * *

The five of them continued their trek through the fog and rain in search of their friend. They would stop for a couple of minutes to allow Ace to have some time to regain the scent. The search continued and began to take them south-southwest in the direction of Nacrene City. However, they were still miles away from the city and the group knew Corey was right about Tom not going as far as ten miles because of the inclement weather. Corey's stomach gave a growl and garnered the attention of his friends. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and decided to have the group take a break to eat a midmorning breakfast. They set their bags down and prepared the area to eat.

Corey, Kenta and Ace spread a tarp out on the ground and anchored it down with the bags. Vanessa and Eri were cooking the breakfast that consisted of sausages, cornbread and scrambled eggs. Elliott said nothing and sat on the tarp, scribbling down some more notes on her notebook. Eri looked at Elliott and shook her head.

"You know, Elliott, you could help us." Eri informed.

"I could, but I'm not budging until you apologize to me." Elliott replied.

"Apologize for what? If anyone owes somebody an apology, it's you."

"Okay, I'm sorry. Happy?"

"I don't see why you're apologizing to me. You should be apologizing to Kenta and Ace."

Elliott glanced over at Kenta and saw him make eye contact with her for a moment before shaking his head returning his attention to Ace. He picked up a stick and threw it into the woods and Ace chased after it. Elliott bit her lip and clutched her notebook hard as she heard what Eri wanted her to do. Sure Kenta was a nice guy, but she also knew that he was more than likely still angry with her treatment towards him.

"Why bother? He's not going to accept it." Elliott shrugged.

"Now that's not fair, Elliott. If you actually pay attention to how Kenta acts, you'll know he's a nice guy with a live and forget attitude." Vanessa defended.

"And what if I don't say sorry?"

"Well, not only will that hurt your relationship with the whole group, but then you can forget about getting any breakfast too," Eri said, getting a plate ready.

"So what, you're going to deny me food now?"

"Just until you give a sincere apology to Kenta. That's a more than reasonable thing, even for you."

Elliott closed her mouth and took a deep breath to bite back a retort. While she sat there and tried to force herself to apologize to Kenta, the rest of the gang began to chow down on the food Eri and Vanessa had made. Kenta and Ace were sharing the food that they received, unaware of Elliott's gaze. Giving another sigh, Elliott swallowed her pride and walked over to Kenta and sat down. Elliott's presence gathered the attention of the group as she sat down by Kenta. She took another deep breath and turned to look Kenta in the eyes to give her apology. As she looked in his eyes, she was greeted with a neutral expression from the brown haired boy.

"Kenta, I'm sorry for what I said. I shouldn't have done what I did and it was uncalled for. You didn't deserve that." Elliott apologized.

"It's alright, don't worry about it," Kenta replied, eating a sausage.

Elliott blinked at Kenta's response. She was sure that he would have denied her apology and retaliated with anger. However, Eri was right about him. His attitude about live and forget truly came into play and he forgave her without any resistance. She was jarred from her thoughts when Eri placed a plate of food in front of her. Elliott picked up the plate and began to stuff her face with the delicious meal.

* * *

The halls of a prison were definitely one of the creepiest and dark things a person can be faced with. The inmates were always trying to be the top dog and they would often beat up the person who stood up to them or was trying overthrow them. For one person though, prison didn't seem to affect him as much as it did to others.

Pierce was sitting against the wall of his cell and tossing a blue rubber ball against the wall. He was thrown into the cell yesterday by Agent Hackleman of PCTU. In the back of his mind, he was cursing himself that he was caught in the first place, but as he sat in the cell, his thoughts began to have him think about why he was put there. Pierce knew he was thrown in prison for stealing Pokémon from a child no less and for some reason, deep down, he felt regret. The whole reason he joined Team Plasma in the first place was to find a sanctuary from living on the street. In truth, he was indifferent about Team Plasma's goals. Pierce only participated and followed orders to keep his position in the organization and to prevent being cast into the streets once again. Now that he was captured, there was no way he would be rescued by any members of Team Plasma. He would spend a long time in this cell unless he managed to work his charisma.

Pierce caught the ball in his hand as it bounced off the wall yet again and gave it a squeeze. He would have to wait for Clint to return before he could put his plan into motion. Giving a sigh, he rested the ball on his bed and walked over to the wall where a bar was bolted in. Grabbing it with both hands, he began to do some pull-ups as he waited for Clint to come and talk to him. When he was brought in yesterday, Clint began questioning him about Team Plasma and Pierce hadn't said a word. Pierce was not one for playing the good cop bad cop and he knew his rights when it came to the authorities. This time, he would have to talk if he wanted to have a chance of getting out of prison early. Footsteps met Pierce's ears and he stopped his pull-ups and dropped to the floor.

"So kid, you willing to talk now?" Clint asked.

"Yeah. Come on in." Pierce nodded.

He walked over to his bed and sat on it as Clint opened the door. Clint's boots gave loud thumps as he entered Pierce's cell. He folded his arms behind his back and stood in front of Pierce, his eyes bearing down into him.

"Alright, Pierce. We've got your record in our possession now so we know everything about you. Right now you are in deep trouble for trying to steal some Pokémon. Not only that, but you did it for a group that you are affiliated with known as Team Plasma." Clint said.

"That's right." Pierce replied.

"What is Team Plasma attempting to do by stealing Pokémon?"

"The goal of Team Plasma is to liberate Pokémon from trainers in order to create a world of harmony."

"As much as I want to believe that, I think you're feeding me a bunch of crap. So what is the true motive of Team Plasma?"

"I don't know our true motive. I'm a grunt and they don't tell anything vital to the organization to people at my level. I'm guessing it's to be used as a safety net just in case any of us got caught by the cops."

Clint let out a chuckle at Pierce's response. He pulled up a nearby chair and sat in it. He took his hat off of his head and twirled it in his hands.

"Well, I guess you guys don't have a bunch of idiots running the show then. Now, with that stunt you pulled yesterday, you're looking at six months here." Clint informed.

"I have a proposition for you," Pierce said. "If I give you information on Team Plasma, you give me a lesser sentence."

"Oh, now you want to negotiate eh? I hate to tell you this, but I'm not going to give you a lesser sentence. Besides, you told me you don't know anything vital about your friends, so as far as I'm concerned, you're of no use to me."

"My suggestion was to use me as a spy and I could report all of the actions to you."

Clint stopped twirling his hat and looked up at Pierce. He couldn't see any look of deceit in his eyes. In fact, just from looking at the kid before him, he could tell he was completely serious. He narrowed his eyes and he rested his chin on the top of his hands. Pierce's face took on a blank expression as he continued looking Clint in the eye.

"Kid, the fact you're willing to turn on your own guys is low enough. How do I know you're not lying to me?" Clint probed.

"You don't. I'm just giving you a suggestion because the way I see it is I have something you want and you can do something to help me." Pierce answered.

"Okay, so say hypothetically that I go through with your proposal, how would you manage to slip information to me?"

"We would have to meet up in person. If I were to try to contact you through an Xtransreceiver or email or whatever, that risks the chance of an interception. I know for a fact that there are some guys in Team Plasma that search those of each member to be sure we are clear of any possible moles."

"Huh, you're quite intelligent, Pierce. Now let me ask you this. What do you get out of this whole thing?"

"I would get either a very reduced sentence or I get off without any charges and you guys never have to see me again."

Clint's eyebrows raised in disbelief at that comment. That would be a fair trade, but he still wasn't convinced on Pierce's statement. The boy before him was a criminal and would do anything to avoid trouble.

"So if I were to let you go, you're telling me you would be willing to act as a mole and send information to me and my friends of PCTU? In exchange when everything is dealt with, we let you go and you basically fall off the base of the earth?" Clint questioned.

"Yes, that's what I'm saying. So what do you say, Clint?" Pierce asked.

Clint departed Pierce's cell five minutes later and locked it up behind him. The conversation between the two of them was fairly interesting. He placed his hat on top of his head and walked down the long hall of cells and exited the holding area. His hands were holding Pierce's file that contained everything on him. Clint rubbed his eyes and started to make his way upstairs to turn it in to his boss.

_"I better go and show this to Lance."_ Clint thought.

* * *

Corey, Kenta, Eri, Vanessa and Elliott resumed their search after finishing breakfast. It had been almost three hours and Ace had led them all over the place. The scent had dragged them through mud, thorns, rocks and trees. Corey was beginning to grow a little concerned that Ace may have been leading them in circles. His answer came when his eyes fell on another tree that looded similar to one they crossed half an hour ago. He knew he had to stop the group and reassess the situation before him.

"Okay guys, hang on a second," Corey said, wiping the water off of his sunglasses.

"What's wrong, Corey?" Eri asked.

"I think we've been going in circles. That tree over there looks just like the one we went by a while ago."

Elliott gave a groan as she heard Corey say that and sent a brief glare at Kenta and Ace out of the corner of her eye. In the back of her mind she was cursing them out at wasting their time with a plan that had little success so far.

"So what do you want to do? Do you want to switch to an aerial search?" Vanessa asked.

"At this rate it seems like it would be the best option." Corey nodded.

"Sorry guys, Ace did the best he could." Kenta frowned.

"Don't worry, Kenta. You guys did well and it's not easy to pick up a scent when the elements have tampered with it." Eri assured.

_"Your best wasn't good enough."_ Elliott thought.

Kenta sighed and squatted down by Ace. He gave him a smile and ruffled his mane for a job well done. Ace seemed to cheer up a little bit at Kenta's behavior and sat down. Kenta pulled out Ace's Pokeball and was about to recall him to it but stopped when he saw Corey hold a hand up.

"Alright, since Vanessa is the only one of us that has a Pokémon that can fly, she'll do the searching. The rest of us will gather firewood and start burning it so we can have Vanessa find us without any problems." Corey deliberated.

They were all about to set off with their tasks, but stopped when a loud boom filled the area. All of them started glancing around to try and find the source. When they couldn't find it, they thought it may have been another rumble of thunder. Another loud boom echoed around the woods and this time, Kenta and Ace were able to locate the direction it was coming from.

"Let's go check it out, Ace!" Kenta said.

Kenta and Ace bolted in the direction of the noise, completely ignoring the cries of protest from his friends. Vanessa hurried after him followed by Corey, Eri and Elliott. Each of them was struggling not to slip and hurt themselves in the bogged down area. With each step they took, the booms got louder and louder. As they neared the source, the group could hear cries of Pokémon and humans over the noise. Corey concluded that there must be a very intense battle ahead of them. Kenta came to a halt and fell to the ground as Corey, Elliot, Vanessa, and Eri all slammed into him. The five of them tumbled down the hill and into a muddy embankment. Once they hit the bottom, they could see two trainers through the trees. Both of them were glaring at one another.

The first trainer was Trent Phoenix and the other trainer was one that they didn't notice. The second trainer stood at six foot two. He had long black hair that was tied into a ponytail, black and red heterochromia eyes, fair skin and muscle. He was wearing long black pants, a white shirt, red jacket and green shoes. The boy was glaring at Trent who was wearing an expression of boredom. In front of Trent stood a Serperior and a Gyarados stood in front of the other boy.

"Just give up, Raven. You should know the outcome of facing the son of one of Lorelei's prodigies." Trent said.

"All the more reason to take you down a few pegs you arrogant ass." Raven replied.

"Jerk alert." Eri whispered.

"Quiet, I want to see the skill level of these two." Corey muttered.

The five of them quickly closed their mouths and returned their attention to the fight before them. Trent and Raven sent their Pokémon to attack each other once again.

"Feroz, use Thunder Wave!" Raven ordered.

"Serperior, dodge and end it with Leaf Storm." Trent said calmly.

Feroz gave a loud roar as waves of electricity raced towards Serperior. Serperior got low to the ground and slithered out of the way with insane speed. She shot up from the grass and her eyes glowed with power. The grass began lifting into the air and was sent in a spiraling vortex towards Feroz. The powerful attack crashed in Feroz and sent him to the ground. Serperior towered over Feroz and waited for him to move to finish him off. When Feroz didn't budge, Serperior slid over to Trent. Raven said nothing as he returned Feroz to his Pokeball.

"I told you that you would lose this fight. Now be sure to know your place before challenging someone out of your league," Trent scoffed, returning Serperior to her Pokeball.

"I suggest you shut your mouth before I shut it for you," Raven replied, glaring at the arrogant boy before him. "You just got lucky on this round. Next time we fight, I'll crush you."

With that, Raven turned on his heel and vanished from sight. Trent shook his head at what Raven said before leaving. There was no way a kid like that would defeat him. He was one of the strongest trainers of his generation. Trent gave a bored sigh and disappeared as well.

"Man, that Trent guy is a first class jerk." Vanessa muttered.

"Yeah, well the other guy didn't seem too nice either." Eri commented.

"I wish we could have seen that battle from the start." Kenta groaned.

"Guys, focus! We need to continue with our plan to find Tom." Corey interjected.

With Corey's statement, the gang broke from their thoughts and began to do what they were doing in the first place. Vanessa pulled out Sora's Pokeball and released him from it. She hopped on Sora and took to the air in hopes to find Tom. Corey, Elliott, Kenta and Eri began their search for firewood to get a smoke signal going for Vanessa to locate them.

* * *

Back in the prison, guards were busy breaking up a riot. The fight was started when someone tried to knockout a fellow inmate and it set off a chain reaction to the massive brawl. It was during this time that Lance and Clint were made known of the situation and they quickly went to diffuse the conflict. Both of them ended up cuffing criminals and forcing them back into their cells. Some of the men were sent to solitary confinement for the rest of the day.

"This is ridiculous," Clint sighed, stretching his arms.

"Yeah, it is. We should have the guards get a headcount of the prisoners to be sure we have everyone." Lance agreed.

"Good thinking."

"Clint, Lance, we have a problem!" A guard hollered.

"What's wrong?"

"One of the prisoners escaped. I don't know how he did it."

Clint and Lance exchanged surprised looks before looking back at the guard who gave them the news of an escaped convict.

"Which prisoner was it?" Lance asked.

"The latest one that Clint brought in. Pierce McCarty." The guard answered.

"Even with that distraction with the prisoners, there is no way he would have gotten out. There are still guards holding security around the exits. We'll just tear this whole place upside down if we need to find him."

"That won't be necessary, Lance."

"Why?"

"Follow me and you'll see."

Lance and Clint followed the guard up to the second tier of the cells and stopped in front of Pierce's cell. He had a curtain hanging up to cover anything in his cell from unwanted eyes. The guard drew the curtain to the side and revealed a tied up officer who was unconscious. The officer was missing his uniform.

"Poor guy," the guard muttered, looking at his fellow officer.

"He probably slipped right by the guards in that disguise with the chaos from earlier." Lance muttered.

"Gotta' give him credit though, he's not a complete idiot." Clint added.

"Let's go check the security footage and see if we can get a lead on him."

Lance and Clint left the cell and went to the security office to check the tapes for the last half hour of events.

* * *

Ten minutes earlier…

Pierce kept his cool as he walked in between the officers that made their way through the halls. He was in disguise and blended in perfectly and so long as he didn't draw attention to himself, he was home free. His feet carried him to the northern exit of the building and he tipped his hat in farewell to the guard at the door.

"See you later man, you're lucky your shift is done. Sounds like some people had a brawl in the cell block." The guard nodded.

Yeah, I heard the commotion earlier. See you tomorrow," Pierce replied, giving a two fingered wave.

Pierce exited the building and continued his walk to the main road. His hands touched the Pokeballs on his waist as he did a quick headcount to make sure he had all of them. After he confirmed that his Pokémon were accounted for, he continued his trek back to Striaton City. Chances are that the base would be completely abandoned since Langdon and Ghetsis wouldn't want to stay in a spot that was possibly compromised by a captured grunt. He continued his walk down the road and thought back to what Clint told him before leaving his cell.

_/Flashback/_

_"Well I'll say that as much as I'd like to help you, I can't," Clint sighed, leaning back. "I mean, I certainly can't say that a fight would distract the cops watching the cells. That the guard who patrols your floor isn't the best fighter and it would be easy to knock him out. I'd say that it'd be possible to walk right out if you got a chance, but let's be realistic. What are the chances that could happen?"_

_"Yeah, you're right," Pierce shrugged, trying not to smirk. "Thanks."_

_"No problem, Pierce. Now just a word of advice, don't let me catch you again. If this turns out to be a lie, I will catch you and throw you right back in this cell."_

_"Yeah, yeah, whatever."_

_Clint got up and left the cell, leaving Pierce to come up with his plan to make his escape._

_/Flashback End/_

Pierce glanced back at the prison and pulled the cap off of his head to reveal his trademark bandanna. He smirked back at the prison and gave a mental note of thanks to Clint for letting him go. Pierce started to run as fast as he could into the city, desperate to catch up with Team Plasma before they departed.

* * *

**Alright guys, hope this chapter was enjoyable for you and we finally figured out what happened to Pierce! So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter with the plot development and I hope you are keeping in mind the chess analogies from chapter seven. Now bear in mind what I said about the updates for this coming week and just be patient if what I said does happen. If you recall what I said in the last chapter, I have a new story out about humans with Pokemon powers/abilities and I'm taking OCs for that. I'm also in need of some evil sonsabitches for that story so take a look and send one if you're interested. So yeah, until next time guys. Later. -CaptainPrice**

**My thoughts: Hell on Wheels season two started tonight, yes! I also am a little bummed out that Deadman Wonderland finished up on Toonami. God, that show was sweet, I wish there were more episodes. **

* * *

**Story shoutouts: (Sad News. Had to take out one story because the author took it down. It's a shame because I know it had the potential to be one of the best stories. But you know what? We need to respect his decision for doing so. Cyclone20, I respect your choice in what you did.)**

**The Pokemon Takeover: The Unova Undertaking by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**From Darkness Comes Light by PhantomStorm:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**Hard Time by The Helpless Romantic:**

**This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.**

**"Spiritual Bonds" by Whisper to the Moon: A story that is following a group of humans with souls of Pokemon. This story just started and has lots of potential. It's quickly becomming one of a few stories starting to emerge with humans having Pokemon powers/abilities and what not and I believe it's a good read. Drop in and give some constructive feedback.**

**"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well. Just updated on 8/3/2012.**

**"Sydney's Pokemon Journey" by Hazelblossom: This story follows a girl named Sydney and her younger sister Lily as they travel on their journey. Drop in and give a read as well as some constructive comments.**


	13. Anger Management

**Hey guys, Captain here with another update and possibly one of the last summer updates as well. School starts for me next Monday and I'm gonna be starting my Junior year of College, meaning I'll be busy as hell alongside my job with the Chain of Command. So that means that updates won't be weekly anymore and they'll come when I get the time to do so. I hope this chapter here is enjoyable for you and I hope you guys drop a review. Remember what I said at my first end author note in chapter one? Gotta tell me what you're thinking otherwise I don't know if you're reading the story. Last update I had reviews dropped by half, so I'm not sure what the cause was, but either way, speak up. Stay tuned for the author's note at the end as usual.**

**New Intro: Live to Rise by Soundgarden**

**New Outro: Rock n' Roll by Motorhead**

**Bold- Message Bulletin/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/Xtransreceiver Conversations**_

* * *

Pierce walked through the halls of the base and couldn't find any sign of Team Plasma. They must have cleaned house and departed the base hours ago. He gave a sigh and started walking to his old room to salvage any of the necessary items he would need for his trip to Castelia City's outskirts. Pierce came to a door with the Team Plasma insignia on the front and a baseball pennant for the Nimbasa City Darmanitans. He peeled the pennant off the door and entered the room. His room was nothing too special, standard twin bed, a desk, an old TV and a closet. He walked to his closet and opened the doors to reveal some clothes, maps, notebooks, munchies and a water bottle. Pierce pulled out a black rucksack and started packing his stuff in. He placed his pennant in the front flap to prevent it from getting damaged in the pack. Pierce tightened the straps and slung the bag over his shoulder.

He took one last look around his old room to see if he was missing anything. When he found nothing essential that he needed, he closed the door behind him and walked down the corridor to the top of the mezzanine. As he was walking, Pierce couldn't help but feel as though he was being watched. He stopped and scanned the area to try and spot anybody that may be in his premises. There were some dull footsteps echoing around the hall and Pierce pulled out Kuno's Pokeball. He summoned Kuno in front of him and had him ready to standby to engage the possible threat. Kuno crouched low and let loose an intimidating growl. The footsteps grew louder until they finally stopped. Kuno and Pierce wheeled around when they sensed another person behind them.

Langdon stood there with a blank expression on his face. Pierce couldn't tell if he was surprised to see him or not, but he knew that Langdon was suspicious of him. His eyes bore into Pierce and it made him feel quite uncomfortable in the older man's presence.

"Pierce, this a surprise," Langdon greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"It's good to see you as well, Executive Langdon," Pierce nodded. "I'm here because I'm still with Team Plasma."

"Indeed, but let me rephrase the question. How did you escape from the police? I know you were captured by them from the report that Liam and Melanie gave me."

"I was, but I escaped."

"Escaped, eh? So you're telling me that I can turn on the TV and see a news report about an escaped convict by the name of Pierce McCarty?"

"Go ahead."

Langdon scoffed and they walked back to Pierce's room. As soon as they entered the room, Langdon turned the TV on and began to tune it to the nearest news station. He glanced at Pierce to see if his demeanor had changed and was wondering if he wasn't bluffing. The anchor on the TV was adjusting the papers in his hands, he looked at the camera.

_**"Breaking news tonight, we have had reports of a possible escaped convict from the Striaton County Prison. We've got our affiliate out at the prison right now with the latest information. Brett, what have you learned so far?"**_ The anchor informed.

The screen split in half to show another reporter in front of the prison Pierce escaped from earlier.

_**"Well, Craig, to my knowledge there was a riot at the prison just before the prisoner escaped. Officials claimed that the prisoner used that as a distraction and somehow subdued a police officer and walked out in disguise. They have a picture of the escaped convict here."**_ Brett replied.

The screen cut to a mug shot of Pierce, minus his trademark bandana. Langdon's face was one of surprise and disbelief. He looked at Pierce and then back at the TV. Pierce chuckled to himself as Langdon turned off the TV. He crossed his arms as Langdon turned to him with calculating eyes.

"How does a grunt like you manage to escape a secure prison?" Langdon demanded.

"Look, I may not be the smartest one on Team Plasma, but I know how to take the initiative of a situation when I'm presented with it. I also knew that it was my only option since I knew you guys wouldn't come get me," Pierce said, crossing his arms.

"Well you thought right, Pierce. Now tell me something. How do I know you're not working for the others?"

"You don't, but then again, you saw the report just now on TV. Not my problem if you don't believe the Five-O is still looking for me."

Langdon shook his head and walked over to Pierce, never breaking eye contact. Pierce returned the stare and felt his heartbeat increase. He knew Langdon was extremely bright and it would be very hard to trick him. Langdon stopped just in front of him and closed in on his face.

"You're right, I don't know if you're working for them or not, but I like you Pierce, so I'll let you in on a little advice," Langdon said, his voice adapting a sharp edge. "Be smart with your choice of friends."

Pierce felt a shiver go down his spine after Langdon finished his sentence. He knew he would have to be extremely careful when he gave Clint information on Team Plasma. Pierce knew Langdon was very observing and sharp. Langdon admitted that he didn't know whether or not he was working for the police, but deep down, Pierce knew that Langdon would have a keen eye on him for a while. That subtle threat in his voice from earlier was something that backed up his statement. Langdon gave a stretch and made for the door.

"What exactly are you still doing here, Sir? I thought you would've left a while back?" Pierce asked.

"Ghetsis sent me back to salvage something from the vault in his quarters. I didn't expect to see you here though, so now I'm behind schedule." Langdon replied.

"My apologies, Sir. If I've kept you here then we shouldn't delay any longer."

"Indeed. Do you have a Pokémon that can run or fly quickly?"

"Yeah, I do. Let's go."

* * *

Pierce followed Langdon to the upper floors of the base. They reached a ladder that lead up to a hatch. Langdon went first with Pierce close behind. Once both of them were out, Langdon pointed to the door and Pierce sealed it shut. Things got more interesting when Langdon pulled out a clacker along with a Pokeball. He turned to Pierce one more time.

"Do you have everything you need?" Langdon asked.

"Yeah, I've got my Pokémon and all the necessary items." Pierce nodded.

"Good."

Langdon threw his Pokeball in the air and it opened with a loud crack. The white glow took on a large shape and revealed a Salamence. Its large red wings opened with such force it created a slight breeze. Pierce, although he wouldn't admit it, felt his respect for Langdon rise when he saw the pseudo-legendary. Salamence was a very strong and proud Pokémon and the fact that Langdon had one at his command alone was a testament to his strength and position as an Executive. Pierce plucked his Pokeball off his waist and released it into the air. It opened and the glow took the form of an Arcanine. Pierce hopped on top of Arcanine's back and received a nod from Langdon.

"I'll give you a head start. You remember where we're meeting up, correct?" Langdon inquired.

"Yeah, the new location is on the outskirts of Castelia City." Pierce answered.

"Right, now get a move on. It'll take you a while to get there even if you're riding Arcanine."

Pierce nodded and tapped his heels against Arcanine's sides to have him move. Arcanine gave a bark of confirmation and began galloping into the woods. When Pierce and Arcanine were thirty seconds into their run, a thunderous explosion came back from where they were earlier. Pierce concluded that it must have been Langdon covering Team Plasma's trail by detonating the explosives in the base. The man was very smart for sure, but this also threw a wrench into Pierce's plans to inform Clint of the base. That was probably another reason that Langdon destroyed the base. To use it as insurance in case he believed that Pierce had cracked or let information slipped. A loud cry came from overhead as Langdon and Salamence shot past them in the sky and out of sight.

_"This going to be harder than I thought,"_ Pierce thought, returning his gaze to the front.

* * *

Back in the forest between Striaton City and Nacrene City, the search for Tom was proving to be a challenge. Corey's first plan to have Kenta and Ace track Tom through his scent had failed when Ace ended up leading the group in circles for a couple hours. He wasn't upset with them since he knew they tried their best. Corey went through with Vanessa's idea to use the second plan and have her and Sora do an aerial search. However, that was proving to be just as difficult. Both Vanessa and Sora had a great vantage point but the dense coverage from the trees made it near impossible to see the ground. By this time, the sun was beginning to set and the group would have to hold off their search until tomorrow.

Vanessa sighed and rubbed her tired eyes as she and Sora continued their search. Her Xtransreceiver gave a ring and she pulled it out, somewhat surprised to get a signal. While the she searched for Tom from the air, she managed to get a weak signal and attempted to contact him on his Xtransreceiver, but each time she did, the call wouldn't go through. Vanessa's heart skipped a beat in anticipation as she hoped that somehow Tom managed to get a hold of her. Glancing at the ID, her optimism sank when the screen read Corey on it instead. She answered the device and brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" Vanessa answered.

_**"Hey, Vanessa, come back to camp. It's getting dark and there's no way we can find Tom in the woods right now."**_ Corey replied.

"Alright, I'll be there in a few. See you then."

Vanessa hung up the Xtransreceiver and pocketed it. She patted Sora on the back, giving him the signal to return to camp. Sora gave a grunt in reply and did a loop before soaring back to the campsite. As they approached the camp, Vanessa could see some smoke billowing above the trees. Kenta and Corey must have been successful in making a fire for the night. She shook her head and gave on last look around the trees in hopes to spot some other possible campfire that could belong to Tom. When she found none, Vanessa ordered Sora down to the clearing where the group was. Sora flapped his wings and created a small gust as he hovered off the forest floor. Vanessa hopped off and led Sora over to the crackling fire.

She plopped down against Sora's side and used it as a pillow. Vanessa rubbed her tired eyes again and watched Kenta return from the trees with a bundle of sticks for the fire. He dropped them on the ground and dusted off his hands. Spotting Vanessa, he grinned and walked over to the blonde haired girl. Sora watched Kenta approach his master and gave a warning growl. Kenta stopped and held up his hands as Sora glared at him with his large red eyes. Vanessa's eye cracked open and she placed a calm hand on Sora's back, giving him permission to let Kenta come over to talk to her. Kenta let a sigh of relief escape him and continued his stride over to Vanessa. He sat next to his blonde friend and decided to talk to her for a bit.

"You look tired," Kenta stated. "Maybe you should go to bed early."

"I'm fine for now. Besides, I still need some dinner before I go to sleep." Vanessa replied.

"I hear you on that. I'm so hungry I can eat a horse."

"Well maybe if you'd spend less time talking and more time helping cook, you could be eating right now!" Elliott snapped.

Kenta and Vanessa turned and frowned at their short tempered friend. Ignoring the outburst, Kenta returned to his conversation with Vanessa.

"So, Vanessa, what exactly are you doing here in Unova?" Kenta asked.

"I'm here to compete in the Unova League, but my ultimate goal is to become a Dragon Master like Lance and Claire." Vanessa replied.

"Oh, a Dragon Master, huh? That's definitely a challenging road to take. So does that mean all of your Pokémon are Dragon-Types?"

"I like a challenge, Kenta. Now the answer to your question is no, most of my team is made of up Dragon Pokémon but I have a couple others that aren't Dragon-Types."

Corey trudged back into the campsite with more firewood, sweat shining on his forehead. He sent an annoyed look at Kenta who ended up taking a break to talk to Vanessa, leaving him with the rest of the work. He wiped his head with his arm and sat down in front of the blazing fire. Eri and Pino returned from gathering water at the nearby stream. She had to finish cooking the meal for the Pokémon and the rest of the group, which would be done shortly.

"Ah, good, you're all back!" Eri greeted.

"So what's on the menu for tonight, Eri?" Kenta asked, clapping his hands.

"Well for us I cooked some bacon for some BLTs and I'm making a sweet recipe for our Pokémon." Eri responded, turning bacon over in the pan.

"Sounds good," Corey commented, stretching himself out.

"So, Vanessa, what Pokémon do you have in your current lineup?"

"What do you care, Kenta?" Elliott demanded. "She told you she's training to be a Dragon Master so pull out your Pokedex and scroll through the all of the Dragon Pokémon! A trainer should have their roster be a surprise to possible opponents!"

Kenta frowned at Elliott's outburst and took a deep breath to prevent himself from saying something that may get him into further trouble. Vanessa's eyes narrowed at Elliott and she decided to go through with the thought that was plaguing her mind for the past day. She couldn't stand Elliott's behavior towards Kenta and she was going to put a stop to it.

"Elliott, knock it off! What's your problem with Kenta?" Vanessa barked.

"I don't have a problem! Do you have a problem princess?" Elliott shot back.

"I have a problem with that ugly thing you call an attitude!"

"Do you want to fight?"

"If it'll pound some sense into that thick skull of yours then let's go!"

"Hey, that's enough!" Eri barked, gathering everyone's attention. "Both of you calm down and apologize to each other!"

"She started it!" Elliott retorted.

"I don't care who started it! You both are acting like children and it's getting very irritating having these trivial fights!"

"I'm sorry, Eri," Vanessa began. "But you have to admit that Elliott's been completely hostile towards Kenta this past day."

"I do agree with you, Vanessa. However, fighting and trying to force Elliott to do something isn't helping much either."

Vanessa took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips. Eri was right, but Elliott really needed to have a lesson taught to her about manners and. Vanessa's mind thought of a new tactic and she grinned inwardly. Elliott would not be able to resist the challenge.

"Fine, I'll apologize to Elliott when she defeats me in a battle." Vanessa proposed.

"Hah, get ready to apologize, princess!" Elliott smirked.

"Let's make this more interesting though."

"Fine."

"If I win, you have to apologize to Kenta and you have to be nice to him for the rest of the week. Should you violate the deal, you owe me two dollars and it'll double each time you do it."

"Fine, and if I win, I don't have to apologize and you have to praise my Pokémon that beets yours in battle every hour of the day for the rest of the week. The money factor plays a part for this as well. If you forget to praise my Pokémon, you have to pay double each time you forget."

"Deal."

The two girls shook hands to seal the bet and took off to opposite sides of the clearing to start the battle. While they were choosing their Pokémon, Eri pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered something about being surrounded by brats. Kenta and Corey were looking at the two girls that had been arguing earlier before turning back to look at each other.

"Corey, is it wrong for me to have been turned on by that?" Kenta asked.

"Dude, really? Get your head out of the gutter man," Corey said, shaking his head.

"I'll be the judge of the battle!"

Kenta stood midway between Elliott and Vanessa while they glared at each other. Both of them were eager to battle and their levels of excitement were clear. Vanessa's eyes held a look of confidence and a calm mind as she prepped herself to battle. Elliott's fists were shaking and they cracked as she clenched them. Kenta looked between the two and received a nod from both of them signaling that they were ready to fight.

"Alright, this will be a one on one battle. Whichever Pokémon is standing at the end is the winner." Kenta announced.

* * *

A Pokeball appeared in Vanessa's and Elliott's hands as soon as Kenta set the rules. Both of them glared at each other once again before releasing their Pokeballs to the center of the clearing. The capsules cracked open and two Pokémon materialized on the field. One was Elliott's Sawk, Ace. The Pokémon that stood in front of Vanessa was a Glaceon, Crystal. Elliott smirked at Vanessa and Crystal before shaking her head.

"This won't take too long. Ace will crush her." Elliott boasted.

"We'll see who's laughing when this battle ends." Vanessa calmly replied.

"You're right, so I'll start it off! Ace, use Low Sweep!"

Ace jumped at Crystal with exceptional speed and Crystal watched with close eyes as he closed the gap. It wasn't until the last second that Crystal sidestepped Ace and was now facing his back. She opened her mouth as she prepared to attack.

"Crystal, Ice Shard!" Vanessa ordered.

A large ball of ice shot from Crystal's mouth and directly into the back of Ace's head. Ace stumbled forward from the dazzling blow and turned around to glare at Crystal. He jumped at Crystal again and landed right in front of her.

"Hit her back with Counter!" Elliott shouted, punching her fist forward.

Ace swiped at Crystal, forcing her to dodge the hit but he brought back his other fist and drove it forward. A loud thump was heard in the clearing as Ace's punch connected with Crystal's side. Crystal bared her sharp fangs in pain and anger from the hard hitting attack. She was sent into the air but landed on her feet gracefully. Elliott and Ace smirked at Vanessa who kept her calm look. Ice-Types were very susceptible to damage from Fighting-Types which made this more of a challenge for Vanessa.

"You can do this, Crystal! Let's hit them with Ice Beam!" Vanessa encouraged.

"Ace, dodge and use Focus Energy, then strike with Brick Break!" Elliott countered back.

Crystal released a beam of freezing cold ice at Ace. As the beam was about to hit Ace, he swerved to the side and pressed his fists together and closed his eyes to build his strength. His eyes snapped open as he shot at Crystal once again with his hand glowing white with the surging power. Vanessa knew she had to stop Ace to prevent him from knocking Crystal out. She snapped her fingers and pointed at Ace as he drew nearer to Crystal.

"Ice Beam again!" Vanessa barked.

Crystal sent another Ice Beam at Ace and it got interesting as Ace didn't break stride. He continued head on into the attack, making Vanessa wonder why he did that. Elliott, however, smirked. She utilized a trick that her father taught her with his Pokémon. When a Pokémon uses Focus Energy, they gain an intense amount of focus, allowing them to use their next attack without fear of a status effect or flinching. Elliott's grin grew wider as Ace barreled through Crystal's attack and brought his fist down on Crystal's back. Crystal gave a loud cry of pain as the powerful strike drove her into the ground.

"I think this battle is mine, Vanessa. Why don't you save yourself the trouble and just surrender?" Elliott taunted.

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I surrender. I've never quit a battle and I'm not starting now!" Vanessa yelled. "Crystal, Aurora Beam, go!"

Crystal's head shot up and released a neon colored beam at Ace. Ace was blasted off his feet and sent spiraling across the forest floor. As Ace tried to recuperate and stand up, Crystal managed to pull herself out of the hole that Ace put her in with his attack. She glared at Ace as he pushed himself up gingerly and awaited her next order from Vanessa.

"Crystal, let's wrap this up with Aqua Jet!" Vanessa said with a grin.

Crystal's eyes glowed dark blue for a moment and a dark coat of water formed around her. She began to trot towards Ace before jumping into the air and soaring towards him like a cannonball. Ace turned around to see Crystal upon him and tried to defend himself from the powerful incoming attack. There was a loud crash as Crystal smashed into Ace's stomach and sent him airborne once again. Ace hit a nearby tree with such force that it shuddered before giving a crack. The tree had snapped from the power and it fell to the ground with a booming crash. Ace managed to push himself off the tree and stumbled forward.

Everyone in the clearing was looking at the fight with excitement at how it was turning out. Both Elliott and Vanessa had put up a hard fight against each other and were without a doubt quite strong. Elliott felt a trickle of sweat run down the side of her face as she held her breath, silently praying that Ace could withstand the pain and press on.

_"Come on, Ace. You can keep going, I know you can."_ Elliott thought.

Vanessa saw that Crystal was still in her battle stance and decided to let her relax. Looking at the situation before her, she knew she had this fight in the bag. That extra hit with the tree would no doubt be the extra leverage she needed to win the fight. She snapped her fingers and Crystal looked at her. Vanessa held up a hand and Crystal nodded in return. She sat down and watched as Ace continued his trek to her. Just as Ace was about to reach her, he fell face first into the ground out cold. Kenta nodded his head at the sight before him and raised his hand towards Vanessa.

"Ace is unable to battle. The win goes to Vanessa and Crystal!" Kenta announced.

Crystal gave a happy bark when hearing Kenta's response and hustled back to Vanessa. Vanessa smiled and hugged Crystal, stroking her fur as she purred.

"Good job, Crystal. You deserve a good meal and a rest." Vanessa beamed.

Elliott was silent as she pulled out her Pokeball to recall Ace so he could recover. As Ace was returned to the ball, Elliott was playing the battle out through her head. Doubt began to creep into her mind as she was reminded how Tom defeated her days ago. Vanessa just did the same thing to her and that was another blow to her confidence. This was the second time she had a victory in sight and lost it at the last second.

_"I don't get it. I know we could have won that fight, but how did we lose? How can I be a Fighting-Type Master if I can't even win with my own Pokémon?"_ Elliott thought, her hands balling into fists.

Elliott was broken from her thoughts when Vanessa approached her. She scowled and turned away, not wanting to hear Vanessa gloat. Vanessa's footsteps came to a halt and she crossed her arms. Elliott refused to look at Vanessa and thought that if she ignored her, she would walk away.

"Elliott, that was a good fight. You almost had me." Vanessa complimented.

"But I still lost." Elliott grumbled.

"Who cares if you lost, Elliott? That's part of being a trainer. Now is the time to rethink your strategy by taking this loss and working to improve in your next fight."

"I guess so. I really need to up my training if I want to win more battles."

"That's why we're here, Elliott. If you need help you can refer to me, Corey and Tom since we've been doing this for a long time." Kenta added.

"Kenta, I'm sorry. I know I've been very unkind to you and you didn't deserve it."

"It's alright, Elliott, all of us get irritated with each other sometimes. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have lost my temper with you earlier."

Elliott bit her lip and nodded. Although she wouldn't say it out loud, she was very grateful that Kenta was as nice and forgiving as he was. She learned that not everyone had the patience like he had and thought about how Vanessa became angry with her treatment towards Kenta. Elliott sighed and turned to Vanessa who had her arms crossed and a neutral expression on her face.

"Vanessa, I'm sorry. I know that I was out of line with yelling at you as well." Elliott bowed.

"Since we're all apologizing here, I'm sorry too, Elliott." Vanessa replied.

Vanessa held up her hand and Elliott grabbed it and shook it. Elliott sighed again knowing she would have to follow through with the bet and try to be nice to Kenta without insulting him or hurting him at all. Then again, she knew this was coming and felt that this would definitely help her with her violent temper. Eri cleared her throat to gain the attention of her cohorts and set down a bunch of plates for dinner.

"Hope you're all hungry. Once we eat we can goof off for a bit and then hit the sack. We still need to find Tom before continuing to Nacrene City." Eri announced.

"Good, because I'm starving!" Kenta grinned.

* * *

One by one, each of them had one of the most delicious sandwiches on their plate. Each of the Pokémon was gathered in a circle, devouring the food that Eri managed to stew up for them. All of them were enjoying the delicious food and laughing and communicating with each other. Eri finished her sandwich first since she was famished after the work she did for the day and gave a loud belch. She immediately covered her mouth and her face turned scarlet with embarrassment. Corey, Kenta, Elliott and Vanessa were looking at Eri with surprised looks.

"Did Eri just burp?" Corey asked.

"She did." Elliott smirked.

"I didn't mean to!" Eri stammered.

"Nice!" Kenta grinned, holding his hand up for a high five.

Eri covered her eyes with her palm and returned Kenta's high five. She felt embarrassed but couldn't help but laugh along with the rest of the gang at her expense. No doubt this would be a joke she would be at the end of for a long time. As Eri laughed, her thoughts reverted back to her newly captured Pidove.

"Hey, Kenta, would you be willing to battle me? I want to test out a new Pokémon that I caught with Pino yesterday." Eri requested.

"You had me at battle, Eri. Let's do it!" Kenta grinned.

Eri walked over to the space that Elliott and Vanessa occupied earlier for their battle and pulled off Pidove's Pokeball. She was trying to come up with a nickname for her new feathered partner. Kenta retook Vanessa's position and pulled out a Pokeball as he waited for one of his friends to take the position of the referee. Corey gave a sigh and mumbled something that sounded like, "This is such a drag." This of course made everyone in the camp roll their eyes. Anything that required work that was unnecessary made Corey state his catchphrase and become bored.

"Alright you two, same rules from before apply. One on one fight and the Pokémon standing is the winner." Corey proclaimed.

"Kuu, let's see what you've got!" Eri hollered, releasing the Pokeball into the air.

"Ace, let's go!" Kenta called.

The Pokeballs snapped open and revealed Pidove in front of Eri and Jolteon in front of Kenta. Kuu flapped his wings as he stared with a blank look at Ace and Ace kept a close eye on Kuu. There was silence before Kenta decided to start the fight.

"Ace, hit Kuu with Quick Attack!" Kenta ordered.

Ace barked back in understanding and crouched down on his hind legs. He sprang up and dashed at Kuu with such speed that he was a yellow blur. As he advanced upon Kuu, Kuu took higher into the air. Ace came just short of knocking the small pigeon Pokémon out of the sky. He hit the ground and wheeled around to get eyes on the small bird.

"Kuu, use Leer!" Eri commanded.

Kuu narrowed his eyes and looked directly into Ace's eyes. Ace froze in intimidation as he met the yellow eyes of the tiny bird. While Ace was frozen from the disturbing gaze, Eri decided to continue her attacks and got ready to have Kuu attack again.

"Now use Growl and follow up with Gust!" Eri barked.

This is where it got interesting. Granted Kuu heard Eri's order, he didn't follow up on it. It wasn't the fact that he was disobeying her, but it looked like he was confused on what to do. Kuu turned to face Eri, leaving his back exposed for punishment from Ace. Eri scratched her head as she tried to comprehend what happened. Her eyes widened in realization as she remembered what her Pokedex said about Pidove.

"That's right, Pidove follows its trainer's orders as best it can, but it can sometimes fail to understand some complicated commands." Eri cursed.

Kenta had his arms crossed as he looked at the problem before him. He wasn't sure whether he should attack or not. If he did attack, it would be unfair since Eri and Kuu were currently not focused. However, the way he looked at it, maybe attacking Kuu would get Eri to focus on the situation before her and help her and Kuu become better as a team.

"Ace, use Thunderbolt!" Kenta hollered.

Ace barked and started to glow yellow with electricity. He gave a cry as a strong lightning bolt shot out from his body and connected with Kuu. Kuu gave a loud cry of pain as the attack coursed through his body. With flying types very vulnerable to electric attacks, Kuu wouldn't be able more damage like that from Ace. The attack did manage to regain Eri's attention which is what Kenta was aiming to do.

"Hey, Eri, stay alert when battling! If you space out you are prone to defeat." Kenta advised.

"I know. I was just trying to figure out what happened. Now that I know what happened, I can make my next move!" Eri replied, pointing at Ace. "Kuu, use Gust again!"

Kuu spread his wings and began to beat them hard and fast. A strong straight-line wind kicked up and blasted at Ace. Ace crouched down as he braced the powerful wind gust and narrowed his eyes to shield them from any harmful particles. Kenta waited patiently for an opening in the strong breeze to make his move and got his wish. Kuu's attack died down and he had to take a breath to recuperate from burning a lot of energy. Kenta decided to wrap the fight up.

"Ace, use Quick Attack once more!" Kenta ordered.

Ace lunged at Kuu as he hovered in the air. Just as he was about to make contact, Kuu banked to the right and avoided the hit. Kenta smirked as he expected that to happen and continued with his attack.

"Turn around and hit him with Thunder!" Kenta barked.

Ace landed on the ground and spun around to get a clear visual of Kuu. Once he located the pigeon Pokémon over him, his body began to surge with powerful volts of electricity as he prepared to unleash his most powerful attack. Right before Eri could have Kuu displace, Ace released the built up attack. A loud crash of thunder echoed around the trees as the electric attack shot at Kunn and connected straight into his chest. Kuu cried out once again as his body felt the agonizing pain. When the attack finished, Kuu fell to the ground with smoke trailing behind him. He hit the ground with a dull thump, unable to battle any further.

"Kuu is unable to battle. The winners are Kenta and Ace!" Corey announced.

Ace barked proudly and hurried back over to Kenta. He was met by Kenta's hands as they ruffled his mane. Granted Eri was new with battling, Kenta had to admit she had the skills of a battler. Perhaps someone in her family may have given her some pointers before she left on her journey. Eri gave a nod and strode over to her fallen friend. She picked Kuu up and cradled him in her arms. Kuu's eyes opened and he looked up at Eri, looking ashamed.

"Hey now, don't be ashamed, Kuu," Eri encouraged, hugging him. "You're new to this and you did your best, so don't feel down. We'll get stronger together as a team."

Kuu gave a chirp in response and Eri stood up. She walked over to Kenta to thank him for the match. Kenta finished praising Ace and stood up to share the handshake with Eri. The two competitors shook hands in good sportsmanship and let go.

"Thanks for the match, Kenta." Eri bowed.

"No problem," Kenta nodded. "If you want to battle again, let me know."

"I will."

Elliott, Vanessa and Corey walked over to Kenta and Eri after they finished their handshake.

"Alright, I think that's enough excitement for one night," Corey said, yawning. "Let's go to bed and we can resume our search for Tom tomorrow."

* * *

The gang agreed on Corey's suggestion and worked on cleaning up the campsite. Once all of the plates were cleaned and packed up, everyone climbed into their sleeping bags. The night was filled with crackles from the campfire and crickets chirping. As they dozed off, Eri continued to look at the stars. While looking at the stars, she thought about her brother, Mike, and thanked him for giving her tips on battling. She knew that his tips were good, but she would have to come up with her own sufficient strategy if she wanted to win more of her battles. As she fell asleep with Pino by her side, her thoughts drifted to her missing friend.

_"Tom, just hang on. We'll find you tomorrow for sure,"_ Eri thought, closing her eyes.

* * *

**Alright guys, that's the chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and I hope that you will be kind enough to drop a review. That's right, Tom's been out of the story for 2 3/4 chapters now and I've focused on the other OCs. Anyway, that's all I really had for you all this time. If you recall what I said in the last chapter, I have a new story out about humans with Pokemon powers/abilities and I'm taking OCs for that. I'm also in need of some evil sonsabitches for that story so take a look and send one if you're interested. So yeah, until next time guys. Later. -CaptainPrice **

**Battle Record: W:L:D (Wins, Losses, Draws)**

**Tom: 3:1:1**

**Corey: 2:0:1**

**Kenta: 2:1:0**

**Elliott: 1:2:0**

**Eri: 1:1:0**

**Vanessa: 2:0:0**

**Story Shoutouts:**

**"The Pokemon Takeover: The Unova Undertaking" by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**"From Darkness Comes Light" by PhantomStorm:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**"Hard Time" by The Helpless Romantic:**

**This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.**

**"Spiritual Bonds" by Whisper to the Moon: A story that is following a group of humans with souls of Pokemon. This story just started and has lots of potential. It's quickly becomming one of a few stories starting to emerge with humans having Pokemon powers/abilities and what not and I believe it's a good read. Drop in and give some constructive feedback.**

**"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well. Just updated on 8/3/2012.**

**"Sydney's Pokemon Journey" by Hazelblossom: This story follows a girl named Sydney and her younger sister Lily as they travel on their journey. Drop in and give a read as well as some constructive comments.**


	14. Reunion

**Hey guys, Captain here with another update for Rise to the Challenge, for those who still read and review it anyway. Well, summer has officially come to a close and what better way to do so with one final update for Rise to the Challenge for a Labor Day treat? This chapter is just shy of 8000 words alone, excluding the authors notes that will be in it, so I hope you enjoy the long chapter. Fun fact, in my Microsoft Word Document for the story, I'm 10 pages away from reaching 200 pages. That's pretty impressive, get on that! Gloating aside, I hope you enjoy the little bits I've thrown in the chapter here and please read the author's note at the end since it's important. Now without further delay, let's get to the chapter.**

**Bold- Message Bulletin/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/Xtransreceiver Conversations**_

* * *

The morning blue sky was once again overcast with thick grey and black clouds. It had been raining constantly for the past couple days and it was starting to make things a little difficult for Tom. With the grass bogged down from the heavy downpours and the wood wet, he couldn't start a fire. He was also running low on his food supply, so unless he found his friends soon, he would have to pray to come across a convenience store or a farm near the road. His ankle was still in rough shape as well. The sprain he had wasn't bad, but it was becoming an annoying hindrance to him.

Tom sighed and glanced at Sparks. He was munching down on his last container of Pokémon food. Tom pulled out his Xtransreceiver and tried to see if he could get a signal again. If he was unsuccessful, then he would have to go and try to find an area where he could get reception. Standing up gingerly with his injured ankle, he looked down at Sparks who finished gulping down the last of his food.

"Come on buddy, we gotta get going," Tom said, slinging his bag on his shoulder.

"Chu!" Sparks nodded.

Tom squatted down and draped a small raincoat that was specially made for a small Pokémon around Sparks. He pulled up the hood up over Sparks' head and received a thank you for doing so. Tom pulled the hood of his own rain poncho over his head to shield it from the heavy rain. He grabbed the tree branch that he managed to make into a walking stick to help take the stress off of his ankle and began to walk forward. Grabbing the Xtransreceiver, he kept it at the ready on his hip to check for signals.

He continued his limp through the wood and cursed each time he stepped wrong and sent a sharp pain through his ankle. Hopefully there was a Pokémon center nearby that he could stop at to get his ankle inspected. Sparks would send a worried glance at him every now and then before returning his focus to the terrain. Tom stopped and checked the Xtransreceiver again to see if it managed to pick up a signal. When nothing showed on the screen, he trucked it away once again. He took another step and felt his stomach drop as his foot slipped out from under him. Not being able to regain his balance, he fell to the ground and tumbled down the wet hill and into a muddy ditch. He bared his teeth in pain and slammed his fist into the muck. Sparks landed with a small splat after sliding down the hill and put his paws on Tom's shoulder.

Tom looked up at his partner's concerned face and gave a grimace. He grunted as he pushed himself out of the deep mud pit and groaned. He rubbed Sparks' head and stood up, swiping any extra mud off of his clothes. Clutching the stick as tight as he could, he continued his march through the swamp. His feet would make a squish with each step he took in the foul smelling substance. Sparks was struggling as he waded through the mud. The mud was almost up to his neck and Tom knew he would have to carry Sparks on his shoulders to keep him from either getting swallowed by the marsh or getting stuck. Tom stabbed his stick into the muck and pulled Sparks out of the steep mire and had him rest on top of his bag. Sparks hugged Tom's neck and placed his paws on his shoulders to maintain his balance.

"There you go, Sparks. No need for you to burn up your energy trying to cross through the grime here." Tom grinned.

"Chu," Sparks nodded, resting his paws on top of Tom's head.

Tom grinned again and continued his trudge through the mud. As he continued to glance at the Xtransreceiver after a couple hundred paces, his mind drifted to old memories he had. The most prominent memory that came to his head was when he first received Sparks before he started on his first journey as a Pokémon Trainer. He could remember it just like it was yesterday when he met his bottomless pit of a partner. If one were to look at them now, they would see a pair of inserperable friends. However, when Tom and Sparks first met, the relationship was one-sided. Tom chuckled as he relived the memory in his head.

* * *

_/Flashback Seven Years Previously/_

_Tom was standing in the living room of his house and bouncing on the balls of his heels as he waited for his dad to give him his Pokémon. He was hoping it would be a strong Pokémon since his dad was a strong trainer. Having a strong Pokémon that was descended from one of his dad's Pokémon would definitely help him on his journey to be a Pokémon Master. He caught sight of his mother, Alice, as she stood in the doorway to the kitchen._

_"Right, all boys grow up and leave someday," Alice began, smiling as she leaned on the frame. "First Marcus left and now it's your turn to do the same."_

_"It feels weird, but I know I'll be fine." Tom added._

_"I felt the same way, Tom. Don't forget, you can always come home whenever you want."_

_"I'll definitely stay in contact with you and Dad, Mom."_

_Alice smiled and walked over to her youngest son. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a bone crushing hug. Tom felt his breath get cut off and he began flailing his arms. Alice remained oblivious to Tom's struggle for air as she continued hugging him._

_"I'm going to miss you, Tom. Please come home sometimes. It's already hard enough that Marcus doesn't do it anymore." Alice said._

_"Alice, you're going to kill the boy before he can even start his journey," Roy said as he marched into the room._

_"Well forgive me I want to have one last moment with my son before he leaves, Roy!"_

_Roy rolled his eyes and pulled out a Pokeball from his pocket. Alice released her death grip on Tom who gasped for air as he found himself freed from his mother's clutches. He shook his head and adjusted his hat before turning to his dad. Roy set the red and white Pokeball on the table between them and folded his arms behind his back. Tom had a grin that threatened to split his face in two as he stared at the Pokeball. Roy smirked as he looked at his youngest son with pride as he was getting ready to start his adventure._

_"You excited, Tom?" Roy asked._

_"Heck yeah, Sir!" Tom nodded._

_"Good, now I'm about to give you a Pokémon that I believe will be the best starter for you."_

_"What kind of Pokémon is it, Dad?"_

_"Why don't you open the Pokeball and find out for yourself?"_

_Tom nodded and stepped over to the table to pick up the small capsule. As he held it in his hand, he inspected it. On the front of the ball were the initials 'TL' inscribed in a lightning bolt design. He held the Pokeball out and pushed the small white button to release the Pokémon inside. The Pokeball opened with a crack and a white light appeared and took the shape of a small Pokémon on the table before him. When the white glow vanished, it revealed a Raichu. It opened its eyes and looked up at Tom with a blank expression._

_"Aw, sweet, a Raichu!" Tom grinned._

_"I figured that you'd like him. So why don't you two get acquainted?" Roy suggested._

_"Don't need to tell me twice."_

_Tom walked up to Raichu and picked him up in his hands. For a small Pokémon he was quite heavy. Raichu's eyes narrowed a little bit as he was picked up and he began to channel some electricity. Tom was completely oblivious of his new partner's intentions as he hugged him._

_"We're going to make a great team, Raichu!" Tom declared._

_"Chu…" Raichu muttered, as he began to growl._

_Roy walked over to Alice and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He wasn't paying attention to Tom and Raichu's interaction and completely forgot to warn him about the precaution he needed to take with Raichu. Alice, however, was looking a little nervous as she eyed Raichu. He now had a mischievous look plastered on his face as he looked at Tom._

_"Those two will make a hell of a team." Roy beamed._

_"Um, honey, not that I'm not happy about this, but did you remember to tell Tom about the powerful shocks a Raichu could deal to something?" Alice interjected._

_"He'll be fine. Besides, those shocks aren't too bad. It'll help build his pain tolerance for sure."_

_"Roy, Raichu can shock something with over 100,000 volts. Are you sure that he'll be okay if he gets electrocuted?"_

_"Wait, 100,000? I thought it was 75,000?"_

_"No, Roy, that's a Pikachu!"_

_Roy bit his lip and turned to look at Tom who was completely ignorant of the fact that Raichu was preparing to shock him. Just before Roy could warn Tom, Raichu unleashed a large shock that enveloped him. Tom went rigid as he clutched Raichu in a tight grip after being shocked._

_"Arrrrggh!" Tom yelled out._

_"Tom, I forgot to warn you about the 100,000 volts Raichu can shock something with. That's why it's best to use rubber gloves when handling a new electric Pokémon!" Roy hollered._

_Raichu stopped his attack and Tom would give a twitch from the powerful shock. He turned back to his dad looking livid and Roy knew that he deserved that look._

_"Thanks for the warning, jackass!" Tom hissed._

_"Okay, I had that one coming so I'll let that slide." Roy admitted. __"I have to say it was funny to see you light up like a Christmas tree though."_

_"Shut-up, Dad."_

_"Alright, I'll stop. Now, you can start your journey. Be careful and remember what your mother and I taught you."_

_Tom shook off the pain and set Raichu back on the table and recalled him back into the Pokeball. Raichu didn't look too pleased when Tom ordered him back in and glared at him until the ball forced him back inside. Tom sighed and attached the ball to his side so he could start walking but was surprised when the ball opened once again and Raichu appeared. He crossed his arms and glared up at Tom. Tom glared right back as they both tried to overpower the other in a stare down. Roy and Alice both gave a laugh as they looked at the pair of them. It would be interesting to see how they would try to resolve their resentment towards each other. As Tom and Raichu glared at each other, they both had similar thoughts._

_"This fat little turd is my partner from here on out?" Tom thought, eying Raichu. "This is going to be a long trip."_

_"This scrawny punk ass kid is my master? Arceus must hate me," Raichu thought, glaring at Tom._

_From that point on, Tom and Raichu would have to try and get along to the best of their ability._

_/Flashback End/_

* * *

Tom let a laugh escape him and glanced at Sparks out of the corner of his eye. His best friend was draped over him and sleeping once again. He must have been tired from jumping through the mud. Tom pulled out the Xtransreceiver and held it up in the air once again. No bars appeared on his screen. He tried turning in different directions, desperate to get a connection. Nothing came up and Tom sighed, putting away the device. If he couldn't get a signal, then he would just have to find the nearest road and go from there. Looking at the ground, he could see some footprints in the mud. He finally had something to go on and that made his spirits rise. Pulling out his compass, he began to determine his heading. He was going southwest at 140 degrees.

"Alright, here we go." Tom muttered.

Tom snapped his compass shut and started to move again. His eyes kept looking at the ground to keep himself knowing of the track. As he followed the trail, he noticed that the muddy marsh was beginning to lessen and the path led through a thicket of trees. Tom gave one last tug and freed himself from the quagmire and gave a triumphant whoop as he stood on the forest floor. His outburst jarred Sparks from his sleep and he gave a stretch. Looking around, Sparks found that they were finally out of the marsh and jumped off of Tom's shoulder. He landed on the ground with a small thump and began kissing it.

"Glad to be back on solid ground, Sparks?" Tom asked.

"Chu!" Sparks replied, nodding his head.

* * *

Sparks stood up and continued to follow the trail that Tom managed to trace. He decided to keep his guard up against any wild Pokémon that may inhabit the area. With Tom being injured, there would be no way he could run or defend himself should he get attacked. Tom heard a twig snap in the distance and Sparks quickly turned his attention to the source of the noise. Not seeing anything, Tom figured it was another Pokémon but was caught off guard when a girl burst through the bushes.

The girl had pale skin, long brown hair that was tied into a high pony tail and electrifying blue eyes. She was wearing black and pink boots, blue short shorts, a white tank top, a sleeveless black vest over the tank top and a pink billed baseball hat with a pink Pokeball on the front. The girl gave a startled cry as she crashed into Tom, knocking the pair of them to the ground. The girl gave a groan as she pushed herself up to regain her senses, forgetting that she was sitting on the boy she accidently tackled.

"Ouch," The girl muttered. "What did I just hit?"

"That solid thing you just crashed into was me," Tom replied.

The girl looked down and found she was now straddling the boy she collided with. Her face heated up with embarrassment and she quickly got off of him, bumping Tom's ankle in the process. Tom gave a sharp hiss at the pain that shot through his injured ankle. The girl bowed her head and began uttering apologies.

"I am so sorry!" The girl apologized. "I was being chased by some Pokémon and I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"Hey, it's alright," Tom answered, dismissing the apology with a wave of his hand. "It was an accident and it's not every day that you get tackled by a cute girl."

The girl's face turned red at the comment and she gave a giggle.

"I guess not," The girl nodded. "So what's your name?"

"Thomas Sandbourne, but you can call me Tom or Tommy, whatever floats your boat." Tom replied, giving a grin. "What about you? What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself! My name is White."

"Well, White, it's nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Tommy."

White stood up and dusted off some of the mud from her clothes. Tom felt a little guilty for getting her dirty after she slammed into him. White held out her hand and Tom grabbed it. She gave a tug and pulled Tom to his feet. Tom had to give White credit for her strength since he was a pretty heavy guy. Not all girls can pull a guy up that weighs around 170 pounds.

Once Tom was back on his feet, Sparks pushed up the makeshift walking stick. White took notice of Sparks and she cocked her head in curiosity. She squatted down and looked Sparks right in the eyes, receiving a quizzical look in return. White must have been raised here in Unova since she was studying Sparks with great interest.

"Who's this little guy?" White asked.

"That is my first Pokémon and my partner, Sparks. He's a Raichu in case you were wondering." Tom replied.

"Ah, I thought he was a Raichu! I remember seeing one on the Pokémon Battle Network."

"You watch the Pokémon Battle Network? Nice! How long have you been watching it?"

"Ever since I could remember, Tommy. You've looking at the girl that's going to be Champion of Unova."

"Well, you'll have to defeat me first. I'm aiming to do the same thing."

White stood up after scratching Sparks under his chin. Tom was fairly surprised when Sparks didn't release an electrical discharge. He must either really like White or trust her after he saw her interact with Tom. White crossed her arms and smirked at Tom. She walked over to him and looked him in the eyes.

"Well aren't you the confident cocky one?" White inquired.

"I could say the same to you," Tom smirked back, keeping the stare.

"Fair enough."

"So what exactly are you doing out here?"

"I was out here helping a friend of mine with her research and we ended up forgetting something. So I came out here looking for it and that's when I gathered the attention of a bunch of Whirlipede and they ended up chasing me. What about you?"

"I've been stuck here for the past two days after separating from my friends. I chased a Snivy through the woods here and caught it but got held up with the stormy weather we've been having."

"Oh, well you look rough I'll give you that."

"Heh, thanks. I've been trying to get back to the main road. I'm trying to get a signal for my Xtransreceiver to contact my friends but I've had no luck so far."

"Well, you're in luck. The road is really close by and there's also a Pokémon Center too."

"Good, I needed to catch a break and it seems I finally have."

Tom tried to move his ankle again but another sharp pain went through it. He clutched his stick hard and rested his forehead against his hands. White bit her lip as she saw Tom's discomfort and knew that he would have difficulty reaching his destination.

"Hey, Tom, how about I give you a hand? I'm sure you can handle yourself, but if I help you I can save you some time." White offered.

"Guess I'd have to thank you for being a guardian angel then," Tom chuckled. "I'd appreciate the help. I know I've already increased the tension in my ankle from walking and falling a couple times."

White smiled at the compliment and walked over to Tom. She slung her pink bag to her side and wrapped Tom's free arm around her shoulders and held it in place while she placed her other arm around his lower back. Tom began to divert all his weight to his other ankle to take pressure off of his sprained ankle. He turned to White and gave her one of his trademark grins and a thumbs up.

"Alright, White, let's go." Tom said.

"Yeah, the faster we get you off that ankle the better you'll be." White agreed.

The pair of them hobbled through the woods and the occasional muddy pits and slopes. After a quarter of an hour, they came across a large dirt road and Tom felt a grin spread across his face. He was back on the main road and that made things a lot easier for him. He had White stop moving so he could check the strength of his Xtransreceiver. Glancing at the screen, he saw that he had three bars worth of reception and started to do his inner victory dance. Tom activated the Xtransreceiver and dialed up the Vanessa's number since she was the person who called him last.

_**"Hey you've reached Vanessa. I am not available right now, but if you leave your name and a brief message I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks much and have a good day."**_ Vanessa's voicemail announced.

"Hey Vanessa, it's Tom. Listen, I would have replied sooner but I had no reception. I am currently on the main road to Nacrene City and I have been informed that there is a Pokémon Center around here somewhere. I'm going to be resting there to clean up and get my ankle checked out. So hopefully you get this message soon so you're not out in the woods looking for me for another day. Talk to you later," Tom said, finishing his message and closing his Xtransreceiver.

"So was that your girlfriend you were talking to?"

"Don't have a girlfriend at this time. I'm flying solo. Why, are you jealous?"

White rolled her eyes and her cheeks turned a little pink again with the flirting. Tom smirked as they continued their trek down the dampened path. Sparks hopped up on top of Tom's shoulders and rested his paws on his hat. As they continued down the road, a light rain began to come down and soak them. White stopped them and pulled off her hat and looked up at the sky. She held her arms out and embraced the rain as it continued to soak her. Tom watched as White welcomed the rain and it added to her beauty. He felt his face heat up a little bit but he shook the flush off and waited for her to put her hat back on so they could resume their walk.

"Do you enjoy rain showers, White?" Tom asked.

"I do, actually," White nodded, looking Tom in the eyes. "I would always go outside when I was a kid and splash around in the puddles with my friends."

"So you are an outdoors girl?"

"You know it! What about you?"

Tom winced as White started to help him down the path again. With him being a farm boy all of his life, that answer was a given yes.

"I'm a farm boy, so I was outside every day, even if I was sick," Tom laughed. "My mom always hated it when I did that."

"Ah, okay, so you would spend your days in the fields and woods and the mud."

"Yeah, that's the only way you can truly grow up in the countryside anyway."

White was about to speak again but stopped when she heard a jingle coming from her bag. She apologized to Tom for the stop and the wait so she could answer her Xtransreceiver. Looking at the ID, her eyes lit up a little bit when she saw who it was. The person who was trying to reach her was her friend that she was traveling with earlier, Chris Walker.

"Hey Chris, what's up?" White asked.

_**"Well I'm wondering what's taking you so long. You've been gone for a long time and I've been waiting for you to come back with the gear."**_ Chris replied.

"Oh shoot! Chris, I'm sorry, I completely spaced on you. I got the gear but I ended up being chased by a bunch of Whirlipede and I ran away. I ended up bumping into another guy here and he's actually hurt. I'm taking him to the Pokémon Center on route three. So if you want to meet me there then that'd be great."

_**"Fine, I guess I'll see you there."**_

White disconnected the call and put the device back in her bag. She felt bad for forgetting about Chris, but she knew that Chris would let it slide eventually. The way she looked at it, she had a valid reason as to why she forgot to contact Chris in the first place. She shrugged the thought off and she stepped off with Tom once again. By this time, White was beginning to grow weary after supporting Tom through the woods and the mud for a little over a mile. She knew they were nearly to the Pokémon Center and that gave her another boost of energy to get out of the rain and into the hospitality provided by the resting area.

* * *

White and Tom reached the top of the hill the road led to and their eyes fell upon the iconic red roof of the Pokémon Center. Tom and White looked at each other and grinned. They were almost there and for the first time in a long time, Tom couldn't wait to go inside and rest for a bit. Aside his wounded ankle, he was positive he was coming down with a cold.

"Look at that, we're almost there." White stated.

"Yeah, let's get moving. We could both use some rest." Tom added.

Their speed increased from the momentum they gained as they careened down the hill. Tom was now doing a scampering hop to the front door of the center with White by his side. He ended up having her stop helping him so he could give her a chance to relax without helping him down the slippery hill. The front doors of the Pokémon Center slid open and Tom and White trudged inside, leaving a trail of muddy footprints behind them. They gave a shiver as the air condition met their already drenched clothes. A nurse that was walking to the front desk spotted them and wasted no time in hurrying over to them to see if they needed help.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center," the nurse greeted. "How may we start helping you today?"

"Where are the changing rooms and is there a doctor that can take a look at my ankle?" Tom asked.

"Of course. The changing rooms are down the hall there to the left and I can go get the doctor that's upstairs. I just need your names and I can give you two your rooms."

"I'm Thomas Sandbourne."

"My name is White," White answered, taking off her hat and shaking her head free of any extra water.

"Alright, Mr. Sandbourne and Ms. White, you can use changing rooms two and three. Mr. Sandbourne, I'll tell the doctor to drop by your room within the hour."

"Alright, sounds good."

The nurse turned on his heel and made his way over to the reception area to record their information. Tom and White traversed the hallway that the nurse told them to and came across a series of doors with numbers on the. Tom's room was on the left and White's room was on the right.

"I guess I'll see you in a bit, Tommy," White said, dismissing herself with a wave.

"Yeah, definitely." Tom nodded.

White entered her room and Tom followed suit as he and Sparks entered their room. Tom closed the door and limped over to the bathroom with his bag. He set his bag on the ground and rummaged through it to pull out his hygiene products and a fresh set of clothes. Sparks shed the mini raincoat that he had and placed it by Tom's bag. He gave a stretch and leaned against the bag to close his eyes. He would have to wait for Tom to finish cleaning himself up before he could get a bath.

"Why don't you get some sleep buddy? I'll be in and out before you even know it and then we can get you cleaned up." Tom suggested.

"Chu," Sparks nodded, closing his eyes.

Sparks was out as soon as he closed his eyes and Tom rubbed is head gently before entering the bathroom to clean himself up.

* * *

Meanwhile, three miles away in the woods, Corey, Eri, Elliott, Kenta and Vanessa were finishing cleaning up the campsite. They were all cold and soaked from the surprise rain shower and that made them eager to find some form of shelter again to change into dry clothes and prevent themselves from getting sick. Corey slung his bag over his shoulders and put on his sunglasses to shield his eyes from the rain. He looked around at his companions to see how they were doing with their tasks to get themselves ready to go.

Kenta zipped up his bag after pulling out his poncho and pulling the hood over his head. Eri was shivering a little bit under the yellow raincoat she was wearing and Pino was dancing around Eri in the rain in a jolly manner. Vanessa stood in a bored fashion and rocked on the balls of her heels as she waited for Corey to make the call to move. Elliott was grumbling about the rain as she put on her raincoat in a hurry.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Corey asked.

"Ready when you are, Corey." Kenta replied.

"I'm ready to go." Eri answered.

"Same here." Vanessa nodded.

"Did you even need to ask? Let's get out of this rain!" Elliott said.

Corey nodded after hearing all of his friends give their confirmation and started to move. When they were woken up by the rain, Corey came up with a new plan. The plan was to now make their way back to route three's main road and continue southwest to Nacrene City. Once on the road, they would continue until they got to the Pokémon Center. Corey remembered seeing a location for one on the road where it was ten miles away from Nacrene City itself. Once they got to the center, they would hold up there and see if they could get a signal for their Xtransreceivers to contact Tom.

They would leave him a message and inform him where they were at and hopefully he would find them. If that didn't work, they would have to try a different approach. Corey pulled out his old trusty compass that his father gave him before his very first journey and tried to find the heading. Southwest was at 45 degrees and he snapped his compass shut, but kept it ready to keep referring to it to be sure they were on the same direction.

"So how do you think Tom's holding up right now?" Vanessa asked.

"I'm sure he's fine," Corey shrugged. "Either way, he's been gone for two and a half days now and the weather hasn't been on our side. So right now I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he may be stuck in the swamps around here or held up with a fever or something. However, Tom's a tough son of a bitch, so I'm pretty sure he may be on his way to the same Pokémon Center we're going to now."

"I hope you're right," Eri said, biting her lip and crossing her arms.

"He's probably fine. Corey's right." Kenta agreed. It would be best to maintain an optimistic view on the situation.

"I'm sure he's fine, Eri. You shouldn't worry about him too much. He's an experienced trainer, so he's probably been in a couple of encounters like this one." Elliott assured.

Eri let Elliott's words process through her head and she did have a point. The whole group was right, but she still was concerned for her friend. Corey opened his compass again to check the direction and closed it after confirming they were still on course. If he remembered the map right, they were close to the Pokémon Center and near the road. After walking for another ten minutes, Corey's eyes notice a large dirt path and he identified it as the main route. He felt a grin spread across his face and started to make his way through the bushes.

Corey turned around and beckoned for the others to follow his lead. Once they broke through the trees and marched on to the main road, they felt relief take them. It was all downhill from here and there was no need to use compass anymore. Corey pocketed his compass and was about to continue down the road, but he stopped when he heard a jingle come from Vanessa's bag.

The whole group turned to Vanessa and she was already digging for her Xtransreceiver. Vanessa gave a hard tug and managed to pull out the small device. She looked at the screen and her eyes lit up when she saw that there was a voicemail from Tom.

"Guys, come here for a second I got a voicemail from Tom!" Vanessa said with a grin.

"Really?" Kenta asked.

"How long ago was it left?" Corey queried.

"Hold on a second, I'll put the voicemail on speaker. To answer your question Corey, it says it was left about half an hour ago, so I guess we'll find out."

Vanessa pressed the speaker button and went into the voicemail. After selecting the message, she pressed play. The whole group felt smiles make their way across their faces when they heard Tom's voice.

_**"Hey Vanessa, it's Tom. Listen, I would have replied sooner but I had no reception. I am currently on the main road to Nacrene City and I have been informed that there is a Pokémon Center around here somewhere. I'm going to be resting there to clean up and get my ankle checked out. So hopefully you get this message soon so you're not out in the woods looking for me for another day. Talk to you later."**_ Tom said.

When the message ended, Vanessa pocketed the Xtransreceiver. They all let out a sigh of relief to hear that their friend was still in one piece. The only thing that concerned them was his ankle injury but they would find out the extent of the damage when they talked to him later. To make things easier, he was resting at the Pokémon Center that Corey was taking them to. Corey looked at his group and smirked.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to run to the Pokémon Center. I want to get the heck out of this rain and relax. Walking in the rain will take too long and it's a complete drag." Corey said.

With that, Corey rested his hands on his backpack's straps and started jogging down the road. Kenta, not wanting to be left behind, started running to keep up with Corey. The sooner he got out of the rain the better he would be. Elliott followed close behind the two boys and bringing up the rear was Vanessa and Eri. With the new found motivation to meet up with their friend, they got a good burst of energy to run to the Pokémon Center.

* * *

Corey and Kenta proved to be faster than the girls of the group and were way ahead of them. The girls would reach them later, but they were now within a couple hundred yards of the Pokémon Center. The two of them spotted the red roof and began sprinting as fast as they could downhill. They were now upon the entrance doors and they opened, allowing the two of them to burst through like a hurricane. This turned out to be bad because the pair of them collided into another solid form. The three teens hit the ground hard and groaned at the pain. Kenta opened his eyes and could see his vision was blurred from the hard hit. He rubbed his forehead as he sat up to spot what he and Corey crashed in to. His eyes fell on a teenage girl.

The girl was pretty tall, possibly stood at five foot eleven. She had green hair with bangs that covered her left eye. Puberty was definitely kind to her since she had a pretty curvy figure. Her long athletic legs were probably the most outstanding feature she had.

Corey was the first to recover from his stupor and shook his head. His face scrunched up as he felt a headache coming on. Thankfully nothing too extensive like some of the concussions he managed to obtain by playing hockey back in Snowpoint City. He swayed as he stood up and looked down at the green haired girl. He held out his hands to help both Kenta and the girl up. He gave a hard tug and managed to pull Kenta up with ease. Corey gave a gentle pull as he helped the girl up. He knew how to act like a gentleman when he needed to.

"Sorry about bumping into you there," Corey began, caressing his head. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, it's okay, no harm no foul." The girl smiled. Her smile could definitely light up the room.

"Yeah, sorry about that. We were trying to get out of the rain and we were looking for our missing friend. We ended up getting a voicemail saying he was here so we wanted to check up on him." Kenta apologized.

"Again, it's no trouble. I'm Chris Walker."

Chris held out her hand and Corey shook it. Kenta shook her hand next and gave a flirty smile. He decided to take a leaf out of Tom's book and play it cool.

"I'm Corey Spina," Corey said, taking off his sunglasses.

"And I'm the ever handsome Kenta Hammer. It's a pleasure to meet you, Chris." Kenta greeted.

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you two." Chris smiled again.

"So what are you doing here?"

"I'm here looking for my friend, White. She came here because she was helping someone she bumped into when she was in the woods."

"Oh, I see. I think she may have bumped into our friend."

The doors opened behind them again and revealed three irritated looking girls that were waterlogged. Vanessa pocketed her Pokeball and was the first to regain a calm look. Elliott glared at Corey and Kenta and began to crack her knuckles and desperately wanted to bash their skulls in for ditching them in the rain. Eri had her eyes closed but upon closer inspection, she looked pretty angry as well.

"Hey Corey, Kenta, thanks for waiting for us!" Elliott sneered.

"I told you I didn't want to stay in the rain so I started to run," Corey replied, crossing his arms.

"You still left us behind you dick!"

"Well how'd you guys get here so fast? If you were running it should have taken you guys at least another eight minutes or so." Kenta said.

"I had Sora fly us here. Seemed like a better idea than running to keep up with you two jerks." Vanessa replied.

Kenta felt a little guilty for leaving the girls behind. He knew that if Tom was leading them they would have stayed together, regardless of the situation.

"Sorry about that," Kenta apologized, bowing his head.

"I forgive you, but don't do that again!" Vanessa warned.

"Who's she?" Elliott asked, nodding at Chris.

"I'm Chris Walker. It's nice to meet you." Chris greeted.

"I'm Eri Summer." Eri waved.

"Vanessa Blake," Vanessa nodded, running her hand through her hair.

"Elliott's the name, fighting is my game." Elliott grinned.

When Elliott finished her introduction, a girl with long brown hair tied into a high ponytail appeared from a hall to the left. The girl's eyes fell on Chris and her eyes lit up. She waltzed behind Chris and covered her eyes with her hands.

"Chris, you're here!" The girl cheered.

"Hey White, how's it going?" Chris laughed.

"It's going good!"

"Who's this lovely lady?" Kenta asked, walking over to White.

"My name is White. It's nice to meet you, mister…"

"Hammer, Kenta Hammer."

White shook Kenta's hand and was a little surprised when Kenta kissed it. Vanessa, Elliott and Chris looked at Kenta incredulously. That boy couldn't sit still for one second when another girl entered the premises. Corey shook his head at Kenta's actions. If he kept this up, he would never get a girlfriend. He would hurt his chances each time a cute girl came into sight.

_"You're pushing it, Kenta. If you keep doing that, no girl is going to stay with you."_ Corey thought.

"Well, this is my friend White," Chris introduced. "She's the one that helped your friend here."

"Have you seen Tom? Where is he?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, he should be coming out in a second. The doctor was taking a look at his ankle." White replied.

No sooner had the words left her mouth when another figure appeared from the hall. Tom's unkempt brown hair was recognizable from the distance. He spotted them and gave a wave as a grin spread across his face. Tom carried himself over to them with his crutches, Sparks following close behind. He stopped in front of his friends and let his grin stay plastered on his face.

"Hey guys, did you miss me?" Tom laughed.

"What happened to you?" Kenta asked, indicating the crutches.

"Tripped down a hill that first day I got separated from you when I was trying to find shelter from the storm. Doc says I twisted my ankle pretty good but it should be ready to go tomorrow if I ice it all night."

"Well good, because I want to get to Nacrene City for my next badge and if you're crippled you're not of much use since it'll take forever to get there with you." Elliott smirked.

"Nice to see you too, babe."

Elliott would've stepped forward to slug Tom but stopped when she remembered the bet she made with Vanessa. She took a deep breath and lowered her fist, grumbling about stupid deals. Tom raised an eyebrow at Elliott's change of behavior and made a mental note to ask what caused it later. He could see Chris staring at him intently and it was beginning to make him feel a little uncomfortable.

"What can I do for you?" Tom asked Chris.

"Forgive me for staring, but you remind me of someone. Do you happen to live in the Kanto Region?" Chris replied.

"I do. Who do I remind you of?"

"Well, I guess you don't remind me of someone but you seem really familiar. Have we met?"

"Not that I recall."

"I thought I remembered seeing a trainer that looked just like you run into the Pokémon Center with a Pikachu years back in Viridian City."

"Well, no, you've got the wrong guy. Sparks here has been a Raichu since I got him on day one."

"Oh, I see."

Silence filled the group once again and Chris looked at her watch. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the time. She needed to get to Nacrene City to report to one of Professor Oak's aides. Turning to look at White, she gave her a look saying that they needed to depart soon. White got the message and tucked her hair under her hat and swung her bag on her shoulder again.

"Well, it was nice meeting all of you! I wish I could stay and talk but I have to take some reports to an aide by the end of the day today in Nacrene City," Chris said, bowing her head in dismissal.

"I'm going to head out as well. I want to try and battle Lenora for my next badge." White said.

"Oh, well I guess we may see you later," Eri said with a smile.

"We will meet up again for sure."

Chris finished saying her goodbyes and exited the building. White was about to follow her out but she stopped. She turned around after pulling out a piece of paper. White scribbled down something on the small note and walked over to Tom. She held out her hand and Tom shook it, receiving the paper from her. White smirked as she clapped her hands together.

"I'm looking forward to our next encounter, Tom. We'll have to have a battle to see who stands a chance at being Champion," White said, turning on her heel.

"You're on, White. Maybe we can battle tomorrow if we bump into each other in Nacrene City." Tom replied.

"I'll hold you to that, Tommy."

White gave him a wink and left the building as well. When the doors closed, Tom glanced at the paper that White slipped him before leaving. Kenta and Corey went over to see what was written on it. Kenta and Corey's eyebrows raised in surprise when they saw an Xtransreceiver number written on it with a winking face. Corey smirked and patted Tom on the back. Kenta felt a slight twinge of jealousy at Tom's success but shrugged it off.

"Nice man, she's a cute one." Corey whispered.

"Yeah, well, we'll see." Tom replied.

* * *

Tom tucked the paper in his shorts and looked around at his friends again. All of them were dirty and soaked from the downpour that came earlier. Since they wouldn't be able to move with Tom's ankle being sprained, they would have to stay the night at the Pokémon Center. This worked out fine since they had to dry and clean their clothes anyway.

"Well, I'll go and get our rooms rented. You guys coming?" Corey asked.

"Yeah, I need a good bath, I reek." Kenta replied.

Vanessa followed Elliott, Corey and Kenta to the front desk to check for the available rooms. Eri decided to stay behind to check on Tom for a moment to see how his ankle was doing. Tom turned his attention to Eri and waited for her to speak.

"So how's your ankle feeling right now?" Eri asked.

"It hurts whenever I put pressure on it and it's pretty stiff too." Tom answered.

"You should have been more careful, Tom. You were lucky you didn't hurt anything else."

"Hey, don't worry about me, okay? I've been through worse. This is nothing, but this is something that happens to trainers."

"I guess, but still though, please be more careful next time you do that."

"Alright Eri, I'll be careful."

Eri nodded and bounced on her heels again. Then for reasons neither of them knew, Eri hugged Tom. Tom was a little thrown off by the act of intimacy but used his free arm to return Eri's hug. She smiled and broke the hug, looking him in the eyes.

"It's good to have you back, Tom." Eri smiled.

"Good to be back," Tom nodded, smiling as well.

A stream of water splashed up and hit Tom square in the face, soaking his shirt and hair. Tom opened his eyes and spat out whatever water got in his mouth. Looking down, Pino was glaring at him and he got the message. Eri noticed this as well and was about to scold Pino for attacking Tom.

"Well, at least I'm not thirsty anymore," Tom chuckled as he walked back toward the hall.

Eri squatted down and looked at Pino in the eyes.

"Now that was uncalled for, Pino. I don't want to see you do that again." Eri said with a stern tone.

Pino scoffed and turned away, only to come face to face with Sparks. Although he didn't show it, Pino was actually very intimidated by the bigger electric mouse. Sparks had his arms crossed and shook his head in warning, giving him a glare in return. He walked away, keeping his eyes on Pino the entire time until the corridor hid him from sight. Eri thought Sparks' attitude was more than just. Pino would have to learn that not everyone would tolerate his behavior as much.

"Let that be a lesson for you there, Pino. Pick your battles wisely." Eri said.

"Osha!" Pino replied with a scoff.

Eri scooped Pino up and gently rubbed his head, letting him know that she still cared for him regardless of what just happened.

* * *

**Alright, that's the last chapter for the summer. Fall's here and that means school is back and running for me. Now, this is the important bit. I am currently taking 19 credits worth of classes, so that's seven classes a week, four of them are on Tuesday for me and I'm also in charge of 12 other people since I'm currently holding a squad leader position for this month. This will most likely be the last update for a while unless I can get time in. I don't want to get PMs telling me to continue writing like I did during the summer. Understand this, I'm not a kid anymore and I can't afford to fuck around these days.**

**I am not abandoning my stories. If I were to do that, there would be no point in being here. Think of this as a hiatus for now, so I'll be back. If I were to abandon a story, I'll always give a heads up, I owe you guys that much for being awesome with your support. Now, comes the wrap up here... Do you guys still want me to continue this story? I've suffered a severe drop in reviews lately and I honestly don't know the cause of it. To those of you reading this, tell me your answer via review or something. I would average at least 10 reviews a chapter, now I'm down to 6, so I don't know if it was something I did with the story or if people have just lost interest. Anyway, negative thoughts aside, thanks a bunch for your support for the summer with helping get the story's reviews back when it was taken down guys, you were truly awesome and I can't thank you enough. **

**Take a look at the story shoutouts below here and what not. Now, in the words of TOM from Toonami when they had their final message. "Until we meet again, stay gold. Bang."-CaptainPrice**

**Story Shoutouts:**

**"The Pokemon Takeover: The Unova Undertaking" by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**"From Darkness Comes Light" by PhantomStorm:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well. Just updated on 8/3/2012.**

**"Sydney's Pokemon Journey" by Hazelblossom: This story follows a girl named Sydney and her younger sister Lily as they travel on their journey. Drop in and give a read as well as some constructive comments.**

**"Countermeasures and Retaliation" by Typhoon Swell: Definitely check this story out.**

**Pokemon gangs are on the rise in Unova and more rookie trainers are joining them out of fear. The police and gym leaders can only do so much. However, one professor has been tracking each of the gangs movements and has decided enough is enough. He gathers a group of some of the strongest trainers of the generation around to fight back. Little do they know though that something more powerful is on the rise.**


	15. Nacrene City Battle Tournament Part 1

**Hey all, the Captain is back with another update for 'Rise to the Challenge'. Now hopefully a lot of you enjoy this chapter for a couple of reasons. One, being that it's another long chapter like the last one. Two, a couple more OCs are introduced in it. Three, awesome battles throughout the chapter with plenty to follow in the upcoming ones. Now before I start, I would like to ask all of you to keep in mind what I said back in chapter one about reviews. **

**"Believe it or not, you reviewers play a bigger part of the story than you may think. Your reviews are fuel to the writers, so remember that and take that thirty seconds to say something instead of passing it off. Not reviewing can be the biggest insult to a lot of writers because then we are left in the dark on how we are doing and it lowers our morale. Anyway, speak up and say what you think so far."**

**I worked hard on this chapter guys, the least you can do is provide feedback to show me that I'm not just pumping this story out for just a set amount of people. I see the hits and I know there can be more reviews from the hits I receive for the chapters. Now, on with the chapter.**

**Note: I gave White a first name to make it more interesting. As of now, White's full name is "Hayley White" so if you don't like it, not my problem. I also stopped putting in nicknames since it's getting too confusing to keep track of for some readers. I'll only leave the nicknames of the Pokemon I introduced and only use the others if there are duplicate Pokemon in a scene or battle.**

**Chapter Summary: Pierce arrives to the new Team Plasma base to a few surprised comrades and has a small chat with Liam. Meanwhile, Tom and the gang arrive at Nacrene City to come to a snag in their plans. But where there is a snag, a new event can fill in the time until the objective can continue.**

**Bold- Message Bulletins/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/ Xtransreceiver Conversations_**

* * *

The dreary wet weather finally passed, allowing the ever lustrous sun to fill the blue sky once again. The group was well rested, dried and cleaned up after their long walk through the woods and the crummy weather from the previous days. The radiant weather brightened everyone's mood and this led to some of the group letting their Pokémon out of their Pokeballs to enjoy the beautiful elements.

Sparks was beside Tom at the front of the group and nodding to the music emitting from his headphones. Kenta had Ace beside him and would occasionally chuck a stick for him to fetch as their game. Eri was holding Pino in her arms and taking in the surroundings. Corey had his hands resting on the back of his head as he walked beside Admiral. Elliott was scribbling in her notebook as Shade sat in her bag and read over her shoulder. Vanessa was stroking Crystal's fur as she walked beside her.

Tom continued singing the song that was playing as the group crossed a small bridge. His eyes fell upon a green sign, reading that Nacrene City was five miles away. A grin spread across his face and he turned back to his friends before pointing to the sign. They all smiled in anticipation at nearing their next objective and the gym battle to gain their next badge towards the Unova League entry.

"Look at that guys, we're almost there. We keep it up, we can be there in a little over an hour," Tom said giving his friends some motivation to keep moving.

"Sounds good to me," Vanessa said, giving a stretch.

"Awesome, then let's hustle."

The group's pace quickened after learning they were very close to their next destination.

* * *

Pierce had arrived at Team Plasma's new location on Castelia's City's outskirts. The base itself was hidden in the Pinwheel Forest near the Skyarrow Bridge. He returned Arcanine to his Pokeball before walking up to the center of the clearing he came upon. He stopped in the center and took a long glance around to be sure he was alone. Once he finished his scan, he squatted down and pushed the large rock out of the way. A small hatch covered in grass came into view and Pierce grabbed it. Giving a strong tug, the door opened up and he descended down the ladder into the darkness. The door above closed with a dull thump and echoed down the chute. Pierce let his feet press against the sides of the ladder and slid down quickly.

He hit the floor and stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulders. His feet carried him down the large corridor and light began to fill the hallway from some hanging lights. Pierce came to a large sealed black door and stopped in front of it. He spared a look over at the keypad that was placed on the side of the door and walked over to it. His fingers punched in the code, making several beeps as he tapped the buttons. The red light above the door turned green and it opened with a loud clank. Pierce waltzed in and the doors sealed shut once again.

The new room that he entered was a large dome with a spiral staircase descending to a lower level. Multiple Team Plasma members were walking all over the large room, carrying supplies and other miscellaneous items. Shaking his head, Pierce turned to a hall that was to his left and began his trek down to the barracks.

After weaving through the many grunts, he finally came across an unmarked room and opened the door. The layout of the room was just like his previous one back in Striaton City. He dropped his gear by the base of his bed and plopped down on it, looking up at the ceiling. Just as he was about to close his eyes, a knock came from his door.

"It's open!" Pierce called.

The door opened and in stepped Melanie. She closed the door behind her and her eyes fell on Pierce. Her eyes widened in surprise and she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Pierce raised an eyebrow at Melanie's obvious shock and sat up in his bed.

"You look surprised to see me, Melanie." Pierce greeted.

"Pierce, how did, what are you?" Melanie stammered.

"Well I'm assuming you're asking how I got away and why I'm here."

Melanie could only nod since she was still at a loss for words. She was very surprised and actually a little happy to see Pierce was still okay. However, she was being very observing of her partner and wouldn't trust him until she heard otherwise from one of her superiors.

"I broke out of the Striaton County Prison and went back to the old base to find you all left. Most likely because they may have thought I cracked and released their whereabouts," Pierce answered. "So since I didn't, I packed my stuff and came here after finding no one back at the old place, save for Langdon who went to retrieve something for Ghetsis."

"Wait, you bumped into Langdon? And he let you come back to us?" Melanie questioned.

"Yeah, he was just as surprised as you are when he found me. Although I know he still doesn't trust me and he will keep his eye on me for a while."

"Well, duh! Pierce, Langdon watches and knows everything about everyone, and I'm sure he will be watching you the most now."

Pierce was about to open his mouth to speak again but stopped when he saw a new face enter the door. It was Liam. Pierce's brows furrowed in anger as he sent Liam the coldest glare he could. It took every ounce of restraint he had from attacking the cocky kid in front of him. Liam just gave a toothy grin as he leaned in the frame.

"Pierce, good to see you again!" Liam grinned. "What took you so long to get out of prison?"

Pierce's mouth twitched at Liam's jab and he once again struggled to resist inflicting bodily harm to him. He instead decided to play Liam's game and grinned back.

"Good to see you too, Dots. Now to answer your question, I needed a vacation. I felt overworked and I believed it would be a good chance to test out my new rubber bouncy ball." Pierce replied.

"What the hell do you want?" Melanie sneered, glaring at Liam.

"Hey now, that's no way a lady should talk or whatever you are, anyway." Liam smiled.

Melanie wheeled round and tried to slap Liam but that did no good. He simply ducked under her hand, causing it to crash into the frame. She let out a cry of pain as she clutched her hand.

"Now you see? That's what happens when you don't think things through, dear Melanie."

Melanie bared her teeth and walked out of the room, glaring at Liam the entire time. Liam let out a sigh of satisfaction to which Pierce shook his head. Someday that attitude would get Liam in big trouble or killed and deep down, Pierce was hoping he would be there to see it happen. Liam chuckled and leaned against the wall.

"So what do you want, Dots? I'm tired and I want some sleep, so this better be important." Pierce said.

"Well, if you must know, Ghetsis and Langdon would like to see you downstairs ASAP." Liam replied.

Pierce gave a grumble as he got out of bed and trudged to the door. He turned off the lights and closed the door behind him. Liam clapped his hands together and was about to take his leave, but was stopped when Pierce got his attention.

"Hey, Dots, you got a second?" Pierce asked.

"Well I am a very busy guy, Pierce. I have at least twelve other people to piss off today, so please make haste with what you want to ask," Liam responded, turning around.

Wham! Liam staggered back and fell to the floor. Tiny lights burst in front of his eyes as he tried to recuperate from the surprise attack. Opening his eyes, he looked up at Pierce and saw a glare that was eerily similar to the one Langdon gave him after beating him up the other day. A coppery taste entered his mouth as he felt some blood touch his lips. Pierce squatted down and grabbed Liam roughly by the collar.

"Let me tell you something you, Dots. You may have duped me on that last mission, but I'm telling you this right now. I will get you back for what you did to me and Melanie and when I do, I can't wait to see that smug grin of yours replaced with one of terror you little ugly weevil." Pierce sneered.

Pierce shoved him back to the ground, not caring if he hurt him again in the process. He delivered his warning and that was all he needed to do. Liam's time would come. Pierce turned around and walked down the hall and out of sight to Ghetsis' quarters.

* * *

Tom and the gang entered Nacrene City, to be greeted with many people walking through the streets. Kenta whistled as he walked up beside Tom, putting his hands into his pockets.

"Man, this place is busy." Kenta nodded.

"It should be," Corey added, tucking the city guide away. "This city is known for being used as storage, so chances are that it will be crowded."

"Well, I'm going to try and find a grocery store to resupply our stuff. Does anyone want anything?" Eri asked.

"Jerky. Lots and lots of jerky," Tom replied.

"Okay, I guess I'll just make a couple surprises with the trip. I take it you five will be going to the gym?"

"You know it."

Eri nodded and disappeared into the crowd of people. Tom, Corey, Kenta, Elliott and Vanessa walked down the road through the bustling crowds to search for the gym. Corey had determined that the gym was on the north end of town beside the Pokémon Center. The familiar red roof of the Pokémon Center met the eyes of the trainers and gave them the incentive to start running towards it to find the gym. The five of them broke through the thick crowd and their eyes fell upon a museum beside the Pokémon Center. Tom crossed his arms and tilted his head in confusion.

"Corey, you said that the gym was supposed to be right here, right?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, that's what it says on the town guide," Corey replied, flipping through the pamphlet.

"Maybe it's got a similar setup to Cilan's gym. Remember that the arena was in the back of the restaurant?" Kenta said.

"It's a possibility, so let's check it out."

Tom led the group over to the museum's entrance to go inside but stopped when the doors opened. Out of the doors came White, looking a little irritated about something. She looked up and took notice of the group. Her face lit up and she hurried over to them.

"Tommy, good to see you made it!" White greeted. "I take it your ankle is feeling much better?"

"Hey, I told you that we had to have a battle sometime. Now my ankle is still hurting a bit, but it's definitely better than it was yesterday." Tom said.

"Good to know you're holding up."

"So what's the story, White? Is the gym in the museum here?"

"Ah, yeah, it is. The only problem is the gym leader."

"What about him?"

"Her, actually. Lenora is her name, but she's currently out of town and won't be back until tomorrow."

A collective groan came from Tom's group as they heard that. They basically ran here for no reason since they now had to wait before they could actually face Lenora. White nodded her disapproval since she didn't get a chance to face Lenora. However, there was still another event that she could utilize to occupy her time. She looked at the five trainers before her and decided to inform them of the event that she was recommended to check out from one of the staff members inside.

"So what do we do now?" Kenta asked.

"Well, there's actually something going on today that carries on into early tomorrow morning," White informed, pulling out a flier. "There's a battle tournament taking place in the Nacrene City Arena just down the road."

"No fooling! What time does it start?" Elliott asked.

"It should be starting at noon and apparently the registration booth is open until eleven-thirty. I'm going to go sign up and clean house. It'd be a good way to kill time and test my skills against others."

Tom felt a grin spread across his face as he heard White give that bit of information. Attending a battle tournament and comparing his strength to some other trainers would make this day more fun and interesting. He turned to his friends with a smirk spreading across his face.

"What do you say guys? You want to give this tournament a shot?" Tom asked.

"What kind of stupid question was that? Of course we're in!" Elliott retorted.

Tom rolled his eyes at Elliott's statement and turned back to White.

"Yup, we're in. So lead us there, White." Tom said.

"Sounds good, Tommy. Alright, let's go." White nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be right behind you. I'll give Eri a call and tell her what we're doing and I gotta take a look at voicemail my Dad sent me."

* * *

White nodded and walked off with Corey, Kenta, Elliott and Vanessa right behind her. Tom pulled out his Xtransreceiver and sent Eri a message on the updated plans for the day. Once he finished with that, he dialed his voicemail to check the message his Dad sent him.

_**"Tom, the information I wanted to pass down to you was in regards to something that Lance came across. You remember that organization I told you about that he and I are affiliated with? PCTU as you know is an organization that catches criminal Pokémon organizations like Team Rocket, Team Aqua and Magma and what not. However, Lance came across some intelligence from another agent in the Unova Region that talked about an organization called Team Plasma. We're not entirely sure what they're up to, but so far we know that they are similar to Team Rocket with how they've been acting."**_ Roy said.

Tom realized this message would go on for a bit and sat down on a nearby bench and pulled out a pen and notebook to copy down the important details of the message.

_**"Bottom line, I need you to start searching for some strong trainers since PCTU will need some help with these clowns. When you find a suitable amount of competent trainers, give me and Lance a call and we can meet up with you to test them ourselves. That's all I had for you, boy. Take care of yourself out there."**_ Roy finished.

Tom exited the voicemail and tucked his Xtransreceiver away. He looked down at the information he scribbled down in his notebook and began to think about what Team Plasma was doing that had his Dad and Lance on the edge and in search for strong trainers. As he sat there, his mind began to run through all the trainers he met and battled so far in the Unova Region.

The only person he could truly say that had the strength that his Dad and Lance were looking for was Corey, but maybe this tournament could open some more possibilities for strong trainers. He looked down at Sparks, who was looking at the information written down in the notebook. Sparks looked back up at him with some curiosity. Tom just gave his longtime friend a grin and scratched the top of his head.

"Let's get to that tournament buddy. We got a job to do." Tom said.

"Rai!" Sparks agreed, jumping on Tom's back.

* * *

White arrived at the stadium with the group in tow. The stadium itself was a decent size and had giant statues of stone Pokeballs on pillars by the entrances. For Corey and Kenta, it gave them a feeling of nostalgia from their past experiences in tournaments and Pokémon Leagues. For Elliott and Vanessa, it brought a wave of anticipation at participating in their first tournament. Vanessa, granted, battled in various regions after traveling around with her father, never competed in a Pokémon League or tournament, so this was something essential to her growth in becoming a Dragon Master.

White spotted the registration booth and beckoned for the group to follow her. Once they reached the booth, Corey picked up additional entrance forms for Kenta, Elliott, Vanessa and Tom. After passing the forms out, Corey looked at the rules. The form required first and last name, region and hometown, and three Pokémon of their choice to enter. Each of them took a pen and began to fill in the required information to enter the tournament. One by one, each of them turned in the applications and gained confirmation to enter the gate to the participants section of the stadium.

"Should we wait for Tom?" Vanessa asked.

"We could, but he'll be here soon. I say we just get inside and prepare for the opening ceremony since it'll be starting soon." Corey replied.

"Okay, well why don't you take Kenta, Elliott and White with you? I'll wait here for Tom."

"Alright, we'll see you inside then."

With that, Corey, White, Elliott and Kenta made their way to the entrance and vanished from sight. Vanessa crossed her arms and scanned the crowd for Tom to show up. As she waited, she began to develop her strategy with her Pokémon and thought about how best to use the ones she selected to participate in the tournament. She had her Glaceon, Crystal, ready to be of use since she was one of her signature Pokémon. Vanessa was jarred from her thoughts when she heard Tom's voice calling out to her.

"Hey, Vanessa, what are you doing out here?"

"I was waiting for you to show up. I figured it would be polite to wait instead of have you trying to find us inside." Vanessa answered.

"Aw, well thank you. I appreciate it."

Vanessa rolled her eyes at Tom's cheeky answer and began walked beside him as they made their way inside. Walking in silence began to bug Vanessa and she decided to ask Tom the question that entered her head while she was formulating strategies for her team that she chose.

"Tom, can I ask you something?" Vanessa requested.

"Go ahead, Vanessa." Tom said.

"What exactly can I expect to face in these tournaments? I never participated in a Pokémon League or tournament despite having battled and traveled in other regions."

"Well it truly depends, Vanessa. Sometimes you get an easy opponent and sometimes you get those that turn out to be a pain in the ass to fight. The way I see it is if you come in here with the mindset of winning and doing the best you can, chances are you'll do just fine. I mean hey, I've been in at least five of these tournaments in my life and I haven't won any of them, but I've made it to the semi-finals and the finals at least once and that's because I had confidence in myself and my team."

"I see."

Vanessa put her hands in her pockets and looked at the ground as she thought about what Tom said. She felt Tom's hand rest on her shoulder and he gave her an assuring smile.

"I believe in you, Vanessa. If anything, I'm sure you have a high chance of advancing far into the tournament." Tom grinned.

"Thanks Tom. I hope you and I can have a battle here." Vanessa replied.

"Likewise. Now let's show these trainers what we're capable of!"

Tom gave Vanessa a final pat on the shoulder and took off down the corridor to the arena. Vanessa hurried behind him, feeling more relaxed and ready to battle. The two of them entered the field to roar of cheers and applause from the crowds. Tom spotted Corey and White near the front with Elliott and Kenta. He grabbed Vanessa's hand and led her over to the group, not noticing her face turned a light shade of pink. Elliott turned around and saw them hustling over and gave a smirk.

"Holy crap, either your ankle sucks or you're just getting too old to keep up." Elliott joked.

"Aw, good to see you're a little worried about me, baby." Tom smirked.

He ducked as Elliott sent a punch at his face but met nothing but air instead. Vanessa shook her head at Elliott's quick temper and felt the need to remind her of the bet they settled on a couple days back. However, that was mainly set up for Kenta, so Tom was considered fair game. Tuning out the banter between them, she took the time to get a look at the other competitors. A lot of them looked around her age. Some of them looked confident and some of them looked unsure. She remained cognizant of what Tom told her about the trainers she would end up battling. Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath and her face held one of true grit.

Tom and Elliott stopped their commotion after the realized they were gathering a little too much attention. Tom could see a lot of trainers in the tournament preparing to battle and psyching themselves up. His eyes fell upon two familiar people that he met prior in Striaton City. Indigo Galaxia and Trent Pheonix were standing a few people apart near the front of the crowd. His fists clenched as he glared at the two of them.

_"Indigo, Trent, I'm coming for you."_ Tom thought.

Tom was broken from his thoughts after hearing a microphone from the opposite side of the arena by the announcer's table. Glancing over to the table, he could see two faces that he always saw when he watched the Pokémon Battle Network. One was an elderly man with white hair and glasses. The next was a man a little wider and he too had white hair that was combed over the front of his head.

Tom felt a grin spread across his face as he recognized the announcers. Bob Houser and John Pederson, the two most well-known Pokémon Battle Network commentators of all time and by far the most humorous. Music echoed around the arena, garnering the attention of the crowd and the participants.

**"Hello all and welcome to the Nacrene City Battle Tournament. This kicks off the battle tournament season as well as the official start day of the Unova League badge run. For those of you that are ahead of the game with your first badge, congratulations! Now, before we start, I'll turn it over to my partner in crime, John Pederson."** Bob greeted.

**"Thanks Bob. Thank you for coming out and joining us on this beautiful day, perfect for Pokémon battles! Just a reminder to those at home, this is currently being broadcasted on the Pokémon Battle Network, check your local listings for times. Now let's get this show on the road with the match ups for the first round!"** John said.

The screen on standing over the western side of the stadium turned on and revealed the faces of each of the contestants. The pictures flipped over and began shuffling around on the screen before finally coming to a stop. The pictures flipped back up and revealed who was by whom for the first round.

**"And there you have it, there's our first line up. At this time, we ask the first two competitors to head up to the battlefield and the others go to the spectating area on the side."** Bob said.

Looking up at the screen, the matchups for the first round were as follows. Hayley White vs Luna Fragula, Kenta Hammer vs Autumn Tyker, Korey Inku vs Alondra Hanson, Nova Colvin vs Ruby Cion, Tom Sandbourne vs Indigo Galaxia, Vanessa Blake vs Ririkku Hanazo, Raven Castiel vs Dwayne Renbu, Corey Spina vs Trent Pheonix, Elliott Kane vs Dante Griffin, Itzal Fuji vs Ria Lorein, Eric Stone will be participating in round two due to an odd number of trainers.

Tom, Corey, Elliott and Kenta sat down on a nearby bench beside the field to watch Hayley's battle. All of them were curious to see the level of skill that Hayley would display. The crowd erupted into cheers as Hayley and Luna took their respective sides on the battlefield. Each of them pulled out a Pokeball to release their chosen Pokémon for the battle. The battles would be one on one until the last battle where it would be a full three on three.

**"Let the match begin!"** John cheered.

* * *

"Pignite, let's go!" Hayley yelled, throwing her Pokeball out into the field.

"Banette, you're up!" Luna said.

Both Pokeballs opened and revealed a Pokémon in front of each of them. A pig-like Pokémon stood strong in front of Hayley while a ghost Pokémon stood in front of Luna. Hayley narrowed her eyes at Banette and began to plan her strategy. She knew that Pignite was a Fire and Fighting type, so she was a little limited on attacks to use against Banette, however she did have on trick up her sleeve.

"Banette, Shadowball!" Luna barked.

"Pignite, dodge and use Flame Charge!" Hayley yelled back.

Banette had a large dark purple ball forming in front of him. Pignite stood at the ready to dodge and comply with Hayley's order. The ball shot at Pignite like a bullet and he narrowly dodged it. The attack was much faster than both he and Hayley anticipated and they made a mental note to be careful of it. Pignite started pumping his legs up and down and charged at Banette, coated in a flaming blaze. He collided hard into Banette, forcing him to skid back from the brute force. Banette shook off the pain and kept a close watch on Pignite.

"Use Hex, now!" Luna ordered.

"Pignite, use Ember!" Hayley shouted.

Banette's eyes glowed purple for a brief moment and a dark purple cloud formed over Pignite. Pignite finished taking a deep breath and released a small blast of fire at Banette. Banette easily dodged and a sinister grin spread across his face. Pignite fell to his knees in pain as the cloud sitting over him began inflict painful constrictions on his body.

"Good, Banette, use Shadowball while he's weak!" Luna barked.

"Pignite, get up and move!" Hayley urged.

Pignite stood up gingerly and came face to face with another large purple ball of energy. The ball hit Pignite straight in the chest and made him roll back across the ground from the hit. Pignite struggled to push himself up after having the wind knocked out of him from the attack. Banette took the opportunity to create another Shadowball in hopes to get an early knockout.

By this time, Pignite regained his strength and pushed himself off the ground and prepared to dodge the attack. Once the ball was sent soaring towards Pignite, he ran out of the way just in time, but this time, he was a lot faster than before. Pignite now had a clear shot to attack Banette and waited for Hayley to make her call.

"Pignite, use Ember once again!" Hayley ordered.

"Too easy! Banette, counter back with Shadowball!" Luna smirked.

The two attacks were sent towards their marks, but collided midair and exploded with energy, creating a thick layer of smoke. Hayley saw her chance to use the concealment to her advantage and made her move. She snapped her fingers and pointed to the smoke in front of Pignite. Pignite nodded after receiving the message and began pumping his legs to get energy flowing into his attack.

His body was coated in flames and he dashed into the smoke towards Banette. A loud crash echoed around the arena and Banette flew out of the smoke and crashed into the ground. Pignite walked out of the smoke calmly and prepared to deliver the finishing blow. Banette stood up and got ready to deliver another attack at Luna's command. Pignite stopped as he prepared to wait for a potential Shadowball.

"Banette, use Shadowball again!" Luna ordered.

"Pignite, dodge the attack and use Ember!" Hayley shouted.

Both Pignite and Banette made their move. Pignite dodged the Shadowball with ease, but was not prepared for the next one and narrowly dodged it. Luna made a quick change in her attack to catch Pignite off guard.

"Banette use Shadowball a couple more times, then hit Pignite with Hex!" Luna yelled.

Banette conjured up another Shadowball and launched it at Pignite. The result was the same as the last time. Pignite dodged the attack and his speed was definitely the cause of it. Luna was trying to figure out how pignite's speed increased since the start of the fight but kept it at the back of her mind. Right now she was focused on trying to get Banette close enough to use the attack. Her best bet was to get close to all little room for Pignite to escape an attack before hitting him with a surprise secondary.

Banette was now within mere feet from Pignite when he released another Shadowball. Pignite had no place to run to make the dodge and waited for Hayley's next order.

"Pignite, Arm Thrust!" Hayley barked.

Pignite brought his arm back and it glowed white as he brought it forward. The two attacks met and the Shadowball dispersed when it was met with Pignite's brute force. However, this seemed to take a toll on Pignite as well. He sunk to his knees as he held his arm in pain. When the attack was stopped, the discharge from the hit left Pignite's arm with visible damage.

"Banette, hit Pignite with Hex!" Luna hollered.

Banette moved quickly and his eyes glowed purple again as a dark cloud formed over Pignite, inflicting more pain on him with the constrictions. While Pignite was suffering spasms from Banette's attack, Luna snapped her fingers and pointed at Pignite to try and use a status affecting move.

"Banette, use Will-o-Wisp!" Luna shouted.

Banette too a deep breath a released a purple wisp. The small ball made its way to Pignite and began to circle around him, but then it dispersed. Luna's eyes widened briefly at the surprise and she tried to determine what happened to her attack.

"You look surprised," Hayley said. "Then again, it shouldn't be too much of a shock. Pignite's a Fire-Type, so he won't be affected by a burn status dealing move!"

Luna's fist clenched and she bared her teeth at the small mistake she made. Shaking off the anger, she regained focus on the battle before her. Pignite was standing up, but still showing visible pain with his arm.

"Banette, Shadowball, go!" Luna barked.

"Pignite, counter back with Ember!" Hayley ordered.

Both attack collided and created another thick cloud of smoke from the energy. Pignite charged into the smoke to prepare for a surprise attack, however, Luna and Banette were already prepared for it. Banette glanced back at Luna and received a nod and he went into the smoke as well to encounter Pignite at close combat. On the other side of the field, a small smirk formed on Hayley's face. Luna was in for a bit of a surprise. Hayley decided it was time to use her trump card.

"Pignite, use Odor Sleuth!" Hayley shouted.

Luna growled and knew she needed to make a move. With the move that Hayley had Pignite perform, it now gave her a chance to hit Banette in close combat with a physical attack rather than a special attack with his element. Her best option was to move Banette out of the smoke and have him take to the air to try and hit Pignite from the ground.

"Banette, come back towards me!" Luna called.

"Now, Pignite, use Arm Thrust!" Hayley barked.

Pignite managed to catch a glimpse of Banette as he moved in the dust cloud and diverted power to his healthy arm. He squatted down and gave a strong push with his legs and shot at Banette like a bullet. Bringing his arm back, he drove it right into Banette's back with as much power as he could muster. The hit was loud enough to be heard around the arena, making some people flinch at the pain that was dealt. Banette soared out of the cloud of dust and bounced across the ground to Luna.

Banette was dazed from the hit and he attempted to stand up and endure the pain. His eyes fell on Pignite as he emerged from the cloud of dust and he received a challenging glare in return. Banette managed to push himself up and swayed a little bit from the damage he took. Not wanting to grant Luna time to make another move, Hayley decided to have Pignite prepare to use the last of his strength.

"Pignite, finish it with Arm Thrust!" Hayler ordered.

Pignite shot forth and brought his arm back for the final blow. Banette took it upon himself to use one last attack as well. He channeled his power and formed another Shadowball and fired it straight at Pignie. Pignite didn't break stride as he continued his push toward Banette. He brought his arm back and slammed it against the Shadowball. This time the ball dispersed perfectly, preventing Pignite from taking damage. Pignite was upon Banette and slammed his arm into Banette's stomach.

When the attack was done, Pignite had slide a couple feet behind Banette, now facing Luna. Banette stood still for a moment, as if he was trying to comprehend what just happened. Finally, Banette fell face first to the ground, knocked out. Pignite stood upright and turned around to face Banette to be sure he was down for the count. When Banette didn't move from his catatonic state, the final call was made.

**"And just like that folks, the first match is done! The winner is Hayley White from Nuvema Town!"** Bob announced.

* * *

Hayley gave a cheer and high-fived Pignite as he made his way back over to her. Luna held up Banette's Pokeball and recalled him to it. She smiled down at the ball and gave a thank you to her friend. She went to the center of the field and Hayley did the same. The two of them shook hands and walked off of the field. Hayley returned Pignite to his Pokeball and walked over to Tom, Corey, Kenta, Elliott and Vanessa.

"So how was that?" Hayley asked, sitting beside Tom.

"Astounding," Tom nodded, grinning at her. "You've got a knack for battling, Hayley."

"Thanks Tommy. Now you be sure to win your round. You don't want to be beaten by me when we haven't even had our battle yet, do you?"

"I'll win, don't worry about that."

As the two of them continued their banter, Kenta stood up and gave a quick stretch. With his match up next, he prepared to choose his first Pokémon. His hand rested on the Pokeball on his waist and he gave a nod. He received a pat on the back from Corey and Tom, along with a couple of encouraging words from Hayley and Vanessa and Elliott. Kenta took a deep breath and ascended the stairs to the battlefield to face his opponent.

Kenta walked to the edge of his square and waited for his opponent to appear. Finally, his challenger appeared on the top of the stairs and went to the edge of her box. Kenta felt a smile spread across his face as he took in the trainer in front of him. She had purple eyes, autumn colored hair and a fair skin tone. As much as he wanted to flirt with the girl before him, he didn't want to get distracted. His main goal right now was to win as many matches as he could to catch up with Tom and Corey in their victory count. He adapted a focused look and readied the Pokeball in his hand. Autumn said nothing and plucked a Pokeball from her belt and twirled it in her hand.

**"Let the second match between Kenta Hammer and Autumn Tyker begin!"** John said.

* * *

"Ponyta, let's go!" Kenta yelled, throwing up his Pokeball.

"Glaceon, take the stage." Autumn said, doing the same.

A Ponyta materialized in front of Kenta and a Glaceon in front of Autumn. No sooner had the two Pokémon appeared on the field when Glaceon made the first move. It started to charge at Ponyta with exceptional speed, eager to get in close to prevent a long range flame attack.

"Ponyta, stop Glaceon with Stomp!" Kenta barked.

"Glaceon, dodge and use Ice Fang!" Autumn ordered.

Ponyta's hoofs crashed into the ground just as Glaceon sidestepped the attack. Glaceon jumped up and her fangs began to glow a light blue. Her fangs sank into Ponyta's neck, earning a cry of pain from the horse Pokémon. Ponyta flailed around and managed to shake off Glaceon and get away from her. She turned around and glared at the smaller Pokémon with anger.

"Ponyta, use Smokescreen!" Kenta hollered.

"Glaceon, use Icy Wind!" Autumn yelled.

Ponyta was quicker than Glaceon in getting her attack finished. She took a deep breath and released a large thick stream of smoke, forming a large cloud of smoldering ash. Glaceon's eyes began to glow again as a cold breeze picked up. Icy crystals appeared in the air and shot forward into the smoky cloud. Ponyta dashed into the smoke and took the full hit of the Icy Wind, but didn't flinch due to the type advantage she had over Glaceon.

"Ponyta, hit her with Flame Wheel!" Kenta ordered.

"Glaceon, get ready to dodge!" Autumn warned.

Meanwhile, inside the smoke, Ponyta started to trot at Glaceon before galloping. She coated herself in intense flames as she shot out of the smoke cloud like a bullet and collided directly into Glaceon. Glaceon gave a cry of pain as the searing attack hit her and she rolled away. The flames covering Ponyta subsided and she prepared to attack once again. Glaceon stood up gingerly from the hard hit and glared at Ponyta.

"Glaceon, get up close and use Iron Tail!" Autumn barked.

"Ponyta, hold her off with Stomp!" Kenta countered.

Glaceon was upon Ponyta with her quick speed once again, but was being held off with Ponyta's defensive stomping. Ponyta's hoofs would leave small cracks on the ground from the hard stomps. Glaceon saw her opening and leapt into the air above Ponyta's head. Her tail adapted a metal coating and shone as the sunlight landed on it. Glaceon used her momentum and brought the heavy tail down atop of Ponyta's head. Ponyta collapsed to the floor and sat there dazed from the hit.

Kenta clenched his fists as he saw the position he was in. He needed to make a move if he wanted to move on to the next round.

"Ponyta, get up! I know you can do it!" Kenta encouraged.

Ponyta pushed herself off and shook her head to regain clarity. Turning back to Glaceon, she prepared to attack again. Kenta gave a nod at Ponyta's strength and calmed himself down as he thought of his next attack. After analyzing Glaceon's attack pattern since the fight started, Kenta was able to come up with his counterattack.

"Ponyta, use Smokescreen again!" Kenta ordered.

"Glaceon, prepare to dodge that Flame Wheel." Autumn said.

Ponyta released another stream of black smoke and covered the entire field with it. By this time, the audience was curious to see what Kenta was up to since the last time he tried this attack, it worked but it most likely wouldn't be successful this time around. Tom, however, figured it out and smirked.

"Ah, I see. Very interesting tactic there, Kenta." Tom nodded.

"What's he doing?" Corey asked.

"Watch this, Corey. Kenta's going to pull the old distraction and flank."

Back on the field, Autumn and Glaceon kept their focus on the smoke cloud as they waited for Ponyta to charge through with Flame Wheel. When nothing happened, Autumn decided to make a move.

"Glaceon, use Icy Wind on the smoke!" Autumn ordered.

"Ponyta, use Ember!" Kenta shouted.

A small blaze of fire shot out of the smoke and collided with the Icy Wind, melting the ice. The water hit the ground and made it a little slick. Glaceon kept looking at the smoke awaiting the Flame Wheel. It still had yet to come and it was beginning to make Autumn and Glaceon antsy. Taking the chance, Autumn decided to move again.

"Glaceon, charge in and use Iron Tail when you get a visual!" Autumn said, pointing at the smoke.

Glaceon gave a grunt in acknowledgement and started to make her way into the thick smoke cloud. Kenta made his move and snapped his fingers. Ponyta sprung high into the air above the smoke and began to descend on Glaceon rapidly. There was a collective gasp from the crowd as they saw the daring move. Autumn's eyes widened in realization and she bared her teeth after figuring out what Kenta's plan was.

"Damn-it! Glaceon, watch out!" Autumn hollered.

Glaceon looked up, only to be pinned to the ground by Ponyta as her hoofs pressed down on her side. Ponyta put pressure on Glaceon to try and force a submission out of her. By this point, the outcome of the match was decided.

**"Glaceon is unable to battle. The winner is Kenta Hammer of Azalea Town!"** Bob announced.

* * *

"Yes!" Kenta cheered, running onto the field and hugging Ponyta around the neck. "Nice job, Ponyta!"

Ponyta rested her face against Kenta's in joy from their victory. Kenta could hear cheers coming from Corey, Hayley, Vanessa, Elliott and Tom. Autumn recalled Glaceon to her Pokeball and walked to the center of the field to shake Kenta's hand for a good fight. Kenta returned Ponyta to her Pokeball and held his hand up to shake Autumn's. Autumn took Kenta's hand and gave a strong shake.

"You battled well, Autumn. Thanks for the awesome fight!" Kenta smiled.

"Oh, well, thank you. You did well too, Kenta," Autumn said, looking somewhat surprised at how he talked to her.

They both let go and departed the field to an eruption of applause and cheers from the crowd. So far the matches must have been exceeding the expectations of the crowd. The group of trainers was definitely showing promise.

**"That's it for our second match of the first round here at Nacrene City, and I have to say, I am being kept at the edge of my seat here, Bob."** John said.

**"Right you are, John. We have to take a commercial break for our sponsors, but don't go away. You're watching the Nacrene City Tournament here on the Pokémon Battle Network."** Bob replied.

Kenta sat down at the bench receiving claps on the back from Tom and Corey. Both of them were glad to see Kenta prevail in his battle and progress to the next round. The next one of the group to battle would be Tom and it was a match that he was looking forward to. He had been eager to have his rematch with Indigo after he lost to him back in Striaton City. This time, he knew he would win and it would be glorious. He still had time to make his final preparations before his battle since there were still two more matches before his. His mind was set on using Sully to add insult to injury.

"Tom, keep in mind not to get cocky in your fight. The second you do that, you will lose." Corey warned.

"Don't worry, Corey. I'll keep my cool," Tom said, glancing at his friend.

Corey nodded and crossed his arms. Tom's hand plucked Sully's Pokeball from his waist and he started to toss it up and down. He began to clear his mind of all thought and tried to be Zen. Corey was right about the cocky nature and he was glad that he reminded him of it. Tom almost gave in to his overconfident nature and would have made a huge mistake in doing so. The Pokémon Battle Network theme echoed around the stadium, garnering everyone's attention once again.

**"Welcome back to the Nacrene City Battle Tournament, here on the Pokémon Battle Network,"** Bob greeted. **"So far we've seen the first two matches of round one and they were amazing. Let's take a look at the highlight reel."**

The screen over the stadium showed both Kenta's and Hayley's battles between Autumn and Luna. The screen paused and John's voice came over the highlights.

**"I want to stop it right here, Bob,"** John said, pulling out a pad. **"See, this is my favorite moment I've seen so far today. Kenta's Ponyta uses Smokescreen here."**

John traced his finger on the pad he was holding and a yellow marker circled the screen.

**"Here is where Ponyta used Smokescreen as a diversion to trick Autumn and Glaceon into thinking she's coming through with another Flame Wheel like earlier. However, Kenta uses another attack as a distraction with Ember, and has Glaceon defend with Icy Wind. That's when Kenta had Ponyta jump into the air with the distraction in place and come down using Stomp to secure his victory,"** John said, finishing his tracing on the board, and the screen resembled a bunch of lines and circles.

**"John, give me the pad. We need to get back to the scheduled matches,"** Bob said, taking the pad from John.

**"Bob, I'm going to want that back later."** John replied.

**"I'm sure you will."**

**"Anyway, our next match between Korey Inku and Alondra Hanson is ready for broadcast."**

* * *

The match between Korey and Alondra was pretty interesting and fierce. Alondra's Typhlosion went up against Korey's Espeon. Alondra won the fight by having her Typhlosion hit Espeon with a surprise Shadow Claw attack at the last second. Korey looked a little upset with his loss, but remained a good sport and shook Alondra's hand for a good fight.

The next round was between Nova Colvin and Ruby Cion. Nova was using his Gardevoir and Ruby was using her Infernape. Nova's Gardevoir was able to win without much difficulty because of the type advantage she had over Infernape. All it took was a drop of the guard and one quick Psychic attack for Infernape to succumb to the pain. The next battles to come after the commercial break were Tom vs Indigo and Vanessa vs Ririkku.

Tom had been doing some stretches between the break to warm up for the battle he had against Indigo. His mind was sharp and his confidence was high. All he had to do was remain calm and fight at a tactical level and he would win. He spun Sully's Pokeball on his index finger as he waited for the commercial break to end. When the Pokémon Battle Network theme kicked on, he stood up and began walking towards the field. He felt his heart beating like crazy from the adrenaline that was coursing through his body.

**"Welcome back to the Nacrene City Battle Tournament,"** John greeted. **"We're almost halfway through with the matches of the first round, so let's get back to what you're all here for."**

**"Right you are, John. Our next contestants are Thomas Sandbourne and Indigo Galaxia. I don't know about you, but I feel that this battle will be a great one!"** Bob said.

Tom stopped inside the square at the base of the arena and could see Indigo doing the same. Their eyes met in a challenging stare and Indigo gave a smirk. This in turn made Tom's mouth twitch in annoyance as his glare intensified towards the fedora wearing teen. Both of them clutched the Pokeball they were holding in their hand and reeled their arms back. The Pokeballs soared towards the center of the battlefield and opened with a loud crack.

* * *

Luxray stood in front of Indigo and Sully stood erect and proud in front of Tom. Sully's eyes narrowed dangerously when he spotted Indigo and Luxray and he let loose a menacing growl. He was still very sour about losing to them last time and was desperate to dish out some payback.

"Well, well, Tom. Looks like I get the chance to beat you again in front of a large crowd." Indigo taunted.

"Whatever you say, Indigo. Now, let's cut the chatter and put on a good show." Tom replied.

Indigo crossed his arms and smirked again. Tom's face was calm and his mind was clear and alert to the battle about to take place.

"Luxray, use Thunder!" Indigo shouted, initiating the fight.

"Sully, close in on him by using Flame Wheel!" Tom yelled.

Luxray finished charging the electricity in his body and released a powerful bolt of lightning at Sully. Sully sunk down on all fours and started to bound directly at Luxray, dodging the high voltage attack. Indigo snapped his fingers to have Luxray try and use Thunder again. Another bolt of electricity was sent at Sully, only to be dodged again. By this time, Sully had picked up a decent amount of speed and coated himself in fire. He was upon Luxray and he leapt into the air to do a head on collision. Indigo knew he had to make a move and his mind reached its next decision.

"Luxray, dodge and use Thunder Fang!" Indigo ordered.

Luxray dodged just as Sully was about to slam into his head. His fangs crackled with electricity building around them and he lunged at Sully's side. His fangs sank into Sully's back, earning a cry of anger from him. Luxray felt his mouth burning as Sully continued his Flame Wheel attack, but managed to endure it. While this was going on, Tom felt a smirk work its way across his face. Indigo had fallen into his little trap.

"That's what I was hoping you would do," Tom muttered. "Sully, hit Luxray with Lava Plume!"

"Damn-it, Luxray, move now!" Indigo shouted.

Luxray released his bite on Sully and attempted to move but was blasted back as Sully released a burst of powerful fire from his body. Tom took a leaf out of Kenta's book and decided to pull the risk of getting hit with a paralysis dealing attack by having Luxray attack him with a dropped guard. The strategy worked and he made a mental note to thank Kenta for demonstrating it later. Luxray recovered from the searing attack and Sully managed to shrug off the bite that Luxray dealt him seconds before. However, both of them sank to their knees in pain and both Tom and Indigo bared their teeth at seeing the status issue. Sully now had paralysis affecting him, but on the plus side, Luxray was suffering from a burning ailment.

"Sully, hit that joker with Flamethrower!" Tom barked, not giving Luxray time to rest.

"Luxray, dodge the attack and use Thunder!" Indigo countered.

Luxray managed to jump out of the way and winced in pain as his burnt paws and legs touched the ground. He fought through the pain and channeled electricity through his body before sending another attack at Sully. Tom decided to try using Lava Plume as a defense like he did against Corey back in Striaton City.

"Sully, try to shield yourself with Lava Plume!" Tom said.

Sully gave a roar and released another cloud of blazing fire from his body. The defensive tactic was successful for the most part but the tail end of Luxray's attack managed to sneak in and hit Sully in the chest. Sully gave a grunt and fell on all fours from the paralysis and pain from the strong attack. Seeing the opportunity before him, Indigo decided to seize it. He snapped his fingers and pointed at Sully.

"Luxray, hit him with Volt Tackle!" Indigo barked.

Luxray crouched down low and started to charge at Sully. Tom had little time to react and said the first thing that popped into his mind as a defensive maneuver.

"Sully, use Eruption!" Tom hollered.

Sully's eyes glowed a dark red as he crossed his arms. Even though he obtained some decent damage and the attack wouldn't be as strong as it could have been, it would be a decent shield to buy some time. The ground began to quake as chunks of the arena began to break off and soar into the air. Sully released a powerful stream of fire towards the sky and coated the rocks in a hot blaze. The rocks fell back to the battlefield creating loud whistles in the process. Luxray continued on with his Volt Tackle, not paying much mind to the fireballs falling from the sky.

Sully took a deep breath and acted on his own and released a Flamethrower at Luxray. The attack made Luxray shift to avoid the attack, right into the path of a large fireball. The blazing boulder slammed into the ground right in front of Luxray creating a large dust cloud and a hot back blast of air from the force. Tom and Indigo shielded their eyes from the debris that shot off the field. When the dust cleared, Luxray was struggling to stand up and was covered in soot and burns. Indigo growled as he looked at Tom and Sully. He was beginning to get aggravated by the two's fortitude to win. His fists clenched as he attempted to get a hold of his anger.

"Sully, try using Flamethrower again!" Tom ordered.

"Luxray, bound back and use Volt Tackle!" Indigo yelled.

Luxray narrowly dodged the powerful stream of fire and retreated back near Indigo to gain room for his attack. He crouched down low and growled as his body began to crackle with electricity to use his attack. Tom wanted to reciprocate and looked at Sully who was looking back at him for further instruction.

"Let's do it, Sully. Use the rest of your power for a head on head hit with Flame Wheel." Tom nodded.

Sully smirked and turned back to Luxray, crouching low as well. His growl turned into a full blown roar as his body began to burn with energy and heat. Both Sully and Luxray were now covered in their respective element and prepared to charge at each other. Tom and Indigo both snapped their fingers and both Sully and Luxray dashed at each other with as much speed as they could. They were closing the gap fast. Both Pokémon jumped into the air to hit each other in a head on head hit. The pair of them collided and there was a bright flash of light as the energy exploded from being combined. A loud boom filled the arena and a large dust cloud blocked the view of the crowd.

**"Now that's what I call a head on collision!"** John boomed. **"Just the sheer power of that hit alone was insane. Take a look at the replay here."**

John went on about the attack as he traced his finger on the board, marking the moves that both Sully and Luxray made before the final attack. Bob shook his head and rested his chin on his head as his eyes tried to make out any motion inside the smoke. After what seemed like an eternity, the smoke cleared, revealing both Sully and Luxray on all fours looking at each other with exhaustion.

Sully bared his teeth as he managed to push himself up. Luxray swayed as he got to his feet and winced again from the damage he received. Tom and Indigo held their breaths as they waited for on the Pokémon to faint. They knew both of them were at their limit and the fight was done. It was all a matter of who had more willpower.

Sully and Luxray continued their stare down, but it finally came to an end. Luxray's eyes drooped and he fell to the ground with a dull thump. He gave it all he had, but Sully proved to be stronger this time around. The crowd erupted into cheers again from the spectacular fight. Tom walked onto the field and wrapped his arm around Sully's back and supported him.

"We beat them, Sully. We beat them." Tom grinned.

Tom received a grin in return from his partner and they returned their focus to Indigo and Luxray. Indigo was caressing Luxray's mane before returning him to his Pokeball. He attached the Pokeball to his waist and glanced at Tom from under his hat. His eyes fell upon Tom's outstretched hand. When their fight was done last time, Tom tried to have a handshake, but Indigo refused to shake his hand.

"Good battle, Indigo." Tom said.

"Whatever," Indigo muttered, shaking his hand.

They finished shaking hands and Indigo turned on his heel to depart the battlefield. Tom gave Sully one final pat on the back and recalled him to his Pokeball. He looked back up to see Indigo descending down the stairs.

"Indigo, when we battle again, I want you to give it twice the amount you had today!" Tom called.

Indigo didn't turn around to give an answer. He gave a two finger wave as he continued his stride off the field and towards the medical area to treat his Pokémon.

**"There you have it folks! The winner is Thomas Sandbourne of Viridian City!"** Bob announced.

* * *

Tom sat back down beside Hayley and Corey, receiving claps on the back. He let a sigh escape his lips as he decided to take a good rest and watch his friends compete. His eyes caught sight of Trent Pheonix. He was watching him from the corner of his eye and Tom glared back at him. Trent scoffed and shook his head at Tom's behavior. Tom ignored Trent's stare and decided not to pay any attention to him unless he was to face him in the next round.

A short intermission was being put in place to replace the field after the damage it took from the previous battles. Once the field was cleaned up and ready to go, the commercial break ended. John and Bob once again introduced the audience on TV to the tournament and that it was being broadcast live on the Pokémon Battle Network. Hayley came back moments later holding a bunch of brats and soda.

She handed the food out to Kenta, Tom, Corey and Elliott. She withheld Vanessa's food since she was up to battle next and told her she would keep it ready for her when she finished. Vanessa gave a nod and stood up to walk to the field. Her mind went through the roster she setup for the tournament. Coming to a decision, she plucked the Pokeball from her waist and began to toss it up and down in the air.

**"Our next battle is between Vanessa Blake and Ririkku Hanazo,"** John said. **"Let's see if these gals have as much vigor as the earlier contestants."**

**"We'll have to see, John. Now let's get back to the field and see what Pokémon they have chosen."** Bob replied.

* * *

Vanessa and Ririkku took their spots on the field and prepared to release the Pokeball they were holding. After waiting for the signal from the official, both of them threw their Pokeballs to the center of the field. Both of them opened and two Pokémon materialized between them. This is where things became interesting. Both Pokémon were Flying-Types, which would provide a new battle to be seen for the day.

The first aerial battle was about to take place and that alone gained everyone's attention to what both trainers would do to secure a victory over the other. In front of Ririkku was a Skarmory and in front of Vanessa was her Flygon, Sora. Both girls kept a keen eye on one another as they waited for a move to be made.

"Alright, Sora, let's go!" Vanessa said, pointing to the sky.

"Skarmory, take flight!" Ririkku hollered.

* * *

**That's right, another cliffhanger. I apologize for that, I truly do, but I decided to break this down right here because I felt the chapter would have been too long and redundant for everyone's taste if I decided to do the whole first round in one chapter. Now I mainly focused on the main groups battles and gave a brief description on how others won. Next chapter will finish round one and possibly start round two. More battles will come, all I ask is that you are patient and don't throw a fit if your character loses. Next chapter will have Vanessa, Corey and Elliott's battles. Round two will have battles between those that won their matches in round one.**

**I hope I managed to get a couple laughs and grins from you with John and Bob's commentary. Points if you manage to guess who I based them off of. The theme I imagined for the Pokemon Battle Network would the be the Fox NFL Sunday Theme since it's just badass. Now I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can guys, but I was placed a Platoon Leader this month for rotation, so I have a bigger and more important job that requires me to be on top of shit, so I will write when I can. **

**Battle Record: W:L:D (Wins/Losses/Draws)**

**Tom: 4:1:1**

**Corey: 2:0:1**

**Kenta: 3:1:0**

**Elliott: 1:2:0**

**Vanessa: 2:0:0**

* * *

**Story Shoutouts:**

**"The Pokemon Takeover: The Unova Undertaking" by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**"From Darkness Comes Light" by PhantomStorm:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**"Hard Time" by The Helpless Romantic:**

**This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.**

******"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well. Just updated on 8/3/2012.**

**"Countermeasures and Retaliation" by Typhoon Swell: Definitely check this story out.**

**Pokemon gangs are on the rise in Unova and more rookie trainers are joining them out of fear. The police and gym leaders can only do so much. However, one professor has been tracking each of the gangs movements and has decided enough is enough. He gathers a group of some of the strongest trainers of the generation around to fight back. Little do they know though that something more powerful is on the rise.**


	16. Nacrene City Battle Tournament Part 2

**Hey all, I'm back after a month of busy work with a new chapter for 'Rise to the Challenge'. I'm glad to see I had a good amount of reviews last chapter, so thanks a bunch for that. Remember, reviews make us writers feel good knowing that we're not pumping out a story just for one person, so be sure to drop one when you can. I'll save the announcements for the end of the chapter, so let's get this show on the road. **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I own the OCs (Tom, Sparks, Sully, Eric, Roy, Alice, Langdon, Pierce, Clint), this story, and the idea of the story.**

**Chapter Summary: Vanessa, Corey and Elliott are up next for the group in the first round for the Nacrene City Battle Tournament. All of them will face a challenging opponent to progress to round two. Tom continues analyzing the skills of other trainers in the tournament to determine if they can meet the standards his father is looking for and he also runs into somebody from his past.**

**Bold- Message Bulletins/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/ Xtransreceiver Conversations_**

* * *

Skarmory and Sora took to the air at the command of their trainers. Sora began to soar higher after Skarmory who was cruising at a decent altitude to where he could hear Ririkku's orders. Vanessa kept her focus on Skarmory's movement to see if she could pick up a pattern and attack when the opportunity to present itself. Ririkku remained silent until she gave the order to attack after buying some time.

"Skarmory, use Agility!" Ririkku hollered.

Skarmory gave an acknowledging cry and began to glow a light red. Once the glowing stopped, Skarmory shot off with phenomenal speed. He was more of a grey blur as he flew around the arena and managed to shake free from Sora. Sora was taken by surprise from the sudden boost in speed and took off after the now significantly faster foe.

He was using all the power he could just to keep up with the agile bird and was barely in range to unleash an attack. Vanessa let a growl escape her as she tried to think of how to make a move that could land a direct hit on Skarmory. After some quick thinking, Vanessa snapped her fingers and looked back up at Sora and Skarmory.

"Sora, bank left and use Dragon Pulse!" Vanessa ordered.

Sora heard his master's request and tilted to the side. The wind carried him and gave him a slight boost. That boost was all it took for Sora to get within striking distance of Skarmory. He opened his mouth and a rotating ball of purple and grey energy appeared. Once the energy was finished storing, Sora released the strong attack right in Skarmory's flight path.

This would in turn work out in Vanessa's favor for the fight since Skarmory's speed would now be too fast for him to avoid it with a quick maneuver. The attack struck Skarmory right in the back, earning a loud screech from the steel bird. Ririkku clenched her hands into tight fists as she came to terms with Vanessa's clever strategy. She had speed on her side, but Vanessa had the power to end the fight quickly if she was given the chance.

"Skarmory, head towards him and wait for my command!" Ririkku instructed.

Skarmory pulled a quick aerial spin and soared straight at Sora. This gave Vanessa the chance she wanted to hit Skarmory with another direct hit. She wouldn't be able to have Sora use Dragon Pulse since Skarmory was covering too much ground with his speed, but she had a couple other moves to use. However, she was staying cautious of what Skarmory would be able to do.

"Sora, use Dragon Claw!" Vanessa shouted.

"Skarmory, dodge it and use Toxic!" Ririkku countered.

Skarmory pulled up at the last second and did a loop in the air, avoiding Sora's Dragon Claw at the last second. As he finished the loop, he shot at Sora and managed to hover over him. He opened his mouth and a bunch of purple gunk shot out and hit Sora in the square of his back. Sora tensed up in pain and dove towards the ground to escape Skarmory's next attack. As he soared back up, he flinched in pain as the poisonous attack ate away at his stamina.

"Sora, hang in there, we can still pull this off!" Vanessa encouraged.

"Skarmory, don't give them the privilege of recovery! Get in there and use Air Slash!" Ririkku shouted.

Sora could see a growing shadow overtaking him and knew he had to make a move to prevent a hit from Skarmory. He gave a hard bank to the right and managed to avoid the razor sharp sickle shaped blast of wind. Skarmory continued his flight around the arena to intercept Sora once again and attempt to hit him with his next attack. As he closed the gap, Vanessa made her move to stop Skarmory from accomplishing his task.

"Sora, do a spiral and hit Skarmory with Dragon Claw!" Vanessa barked.

Sora's claw glowed a dark red as the energy channeled inside it. He started spinning as he shot at Skarmory and narrowly dodged Skarmory. He raised his claw and raked it across Skarmory's chest and wing. This earned a pained cry from Skarmory from the stinging sensation that accompanied the hit. Sora suffered another spasm as the toxins continued to course through his system. He dropped out of the sky a little bit but regained composure. The poison was getting stronger and soon it would drain him completely. Vanessa needed to end this as soon as possible, but it was proving to be difficult. Sora's Dragon-Type moves were having little effect on Skarmory being a Steel-Type.

"Skarmory, close in and use Steel Wing!" Ririkku yelled.

"Sora, try and dodge it!" Vanessa shouted.

Sora angled his wings and shot towards the sky with Skarmory hot on his tail. Vanessa watched as Skarmory was once again hovering directly over Sora. Skarmory's wing was coated in shiny steel and he brought slashed down with his wing. The attack struck Sora in the back and forced him to drop from the pain. Skarmory continued his onslaught and he began to flap both of his wings.

Sickle shaped blasts of wind shot down and collided into Sora's back and sent him spiraling down to the ground. The crowd watched in anticipation as they waited for Sora to slam into the ground. Sora seemed to regain himself as he was just about to crash and tilted his wings, allowing him to pull up at the last second. He began managed to get airborne once again and continued flying straight at Skarmory.

Ririkku was getting irritated with the tenacity that Vanessa and Sora were displaying. Snapping her fingers, Skarmory began to flap his wings again and sent a barrage of razor sharp winds at Sora. Vanessa said nothing as she had anticipated that move. Skarmory had presented all four of his moves and she knew that only two of them were ranged attacks. She still had yet to show Sora's final move, but she came up with a strategy to end the fight.

"Sora, Dragon Pulse!" Vanessa ordered.

Sora opened his mouth and the turbulent energy built up inside like it did earlier. He released the spiraling blast of energy at Skarmory's attack. The attacks collided and managed to create a small cloud of smoke when they met. The Dragon Pulse continued its trek towards Skarmory who took it upon himself to avoid the powerful attack. Sora was now hovering in the smoke and awaiting the order from Vanessa to attack. Now was the best time to do so with the smoke concealing him from Skarmory.

"Sora, end it with Draco-Meteor!" Vanessa yelled.

Sora lifted his head up high and opened his mouth once again. A bright orange ball began to take shape in his mouth. When the power finished building, Sora launched the ball skyward. The ball whistled as it went high into the air and above the stadium. Just as it neared the top, Vanessa prepared for Sora to trap Skarmory in the line of fire. She snapped her fingers and Sora shot forward from the smoke and at Skarmory's blind spot. The ball of energy that Sora sent up exploded in the air with a loud bang, breaking off into multiple meteorites coated with orange flames. The meteorites whistled loudly as they fell to the stadium.

"Skarmory, watch out!" Ririkku warned.

"Sora, hit him with Dragon Claw!" Vanessa shouted, not willing to let Skarmory get away.

Sora closed the gap and brought his claw back. He raked his claw against the top of Skarmory's wing, successfully forcing him into the path of a falling meteorite. Sora banked left quickly and avoided the meteor shower just in time. Multiple meteorites crashed into Skarmory, creating a large cloud of smoke. Once the attack finished, everyone was waiting to see the result of the attack withheld breath. Seconds felt like minutes as the crowd waited for any sign of movement. Finally, Skarmory fell from the smoke cloud and onto the arena floor with a loud crash. Ririkku stood there in shock at her defeat and completely tuned out the referee declaring Vanessa's victory.

"Skarmory is unable to battle! The winner is Vanessa Blake of Blackthorn City!"

* * *

Sora landed gracefully beside Vanessa and was met with a tight hug from his master. Vanessa stroked his cheek and had a large grin on her face. Her confidence soared at her first battle tournament victory. Looking towards the stands she could see her friends clapping with the audience. Her eyes fell on Tom who gave her a thumbs up at a job well done which she returned. She returned Sora to his Pokeball and walked over to shake Ririkku's hand. Ririkku shook her hand and reached into her pocket.

"Thanks for the good fight, Ririkku. You really gave me a challenge." Vanessa said.

"So how do you feel about winning this battle, Vanessa?" Ririkku suddenly asked, holding up a small recorder.

"Um, good I guess."

Vanessa turned on her heel and departed the field with Ririkku in tow, asking her questions left and right. The questions kept coming in like rapid fire and Vanessa couldn't even respond because of Ririkku's constant talking.

"Please stop, I don't really want to answer any questions. Besides, how can I answer them if you keep hitting me with them and not giving me time to answer?" Vanessa said, taking her food from Hayley.

"Hmph, well I'm a reporter and I ask questions. So what are you doing here in the battle tournament?" Ririkku replied.

"Look, I said that was enough. I want to eat my lunch in peace, so go bug someone else please."

Ririkku clicked her tongue and turned off the recorder. She gave one last glare at Vanessa before walking away to the medical area. Vanessa shook her head and took a bite of her brat.

"Don't you think that may have been a little rude with that response, Vanessa?" Eri asked, sitting down beside her.

"No, I don't. Reporters are like leeches and they don't go away unless you firmly tell them to back off." Vanessa answered.

"I see. So how's it going for you all?"

"So far our group has won their rounds. Corey and Elliott still have to battle yet." Kenta said.

"Well that's good."

While the tournament went to commercial break again to allow the field to be repaired and cleaned up, the group filled Eri in on what had transpired during their battles and how their opponents gave them a fight. Tom had detached himself from the group's conversation and was writing down in his notebook the strong trainers he was tasked with finding. So far on the list he had Corey, Indigo and Vanessa. He had seen a good handful of trainers battle and how they carried themselves during the fight. Granted a lot of them were decent, he felt as though he needed a better feel for some of the others before writing anyone else down. He pocketed his book and returned his attention to the screen.

The next battle that took place after the commercial break finished was between Raven Castiel and Dwayne Renbu. Both of them both had a strong Pokémon displaying formidable strength as their battle progressed. Raven had his Gyarados facing off against Dwayne's Emboar. Each Pokémon would take a hit and deal one right back and it was obvious that these two trainers were well trained and experienced.

Their battle was holding the record for the longest duration which was another interesting factor since Dwayne was at a serious disadvantage going up against Gyarados. Despite all of the blows traded, in the end the victor was Raven. He had Gyarados power up with Dragon Dance and managed to get a direct hit on Emboar with Waterfall. When Dwayne went to shake his hand in good conduct, Raven slapped it away and walked off the field. Dwayne's face turned to one of anger at the attitude Raven gave him along with the side comment of his Emboar being weak.

* * *

Corey stood up and cracked his knuckles and neck as he prepared himself for his battle. He knew Trent's capabilities after seeing him battle in the Johto League and knew that he wouldn't go down that easily. He remained thoughtful of his advice that he gave Tom and told himself not to get cocky or else he would lose. Corey's feet began to carry him to the stage. He decided to use a new Pokémon from his lineup to give Admiral and Crusader a rest for doing all the fighting. He ascended the stairs and stopped inside the box, pulling out a Pokeball. Adjusting his sunglasses, he glanced up and locked eyes with Trent.

Trent had a neutral expression on his face as he returned Corey's gaze. His hand was holding a Pokeball that was barely visible with his crossed arms. As they waited for the signal to go, John and Bob began talking about the two of them.

**"Ah, Bob, this will be an interesting fight!"** John commented.

**"Right you are, John. These two both have a bit of an impressive record. Last I saw them was during the Johto League last year. They both did well, but in the end, Corey Spina here placed in the top four while Trent placed in the top eight."** Bob replied.

The corner of Trent's mouth twitched as he was reminded of placing behind Corey. He vaguely remembered watching him battle in the league and found his performance to be average. If he were to have fought Corey back in the Johto League, he would have crushed him. However, it seemed God was on his side today because now he would get his wish. He was hoping that Corey would at least attempt to give him a good fight. All the trainers he faced so far in Unova were weak and he had won all three of his battles since he started in Unova. Clutching his Pokeball, his eyes glanced at the referee as he gave the signal to begin.

* * *

"Walrein, I need your assistance!" Corey said, throwing his Pokeball to the center.

"Serperior, go." Trent said.

Both Pokeballs opened with a crack. A large green snake Pokémon was in front of Trent while a large walrus was in front of Corey. Trent scoffed as he saw what he was going against. Granted Corey probably had Walrein learn some Ice-Type moves to protect himself against a Grass-Type, but this would seem to be a battle about speed, which is what Trent had. All he had to do was do a hit and run strategy and the fight was his.

"Serperior, go and use Leaf Blade." Trent said.

Serperior acknowledged Trent's request with a cry and used sharp speed to get inside Walrein's guard. Serperior was just upon Walrein, but Corey made his move to defend himself.

"Walrein, use Ice Ball!" Corey barked

Walrein's cheeks grew in size as it took in air and formed a solid chunk of ice. It quickly spat the frozen ball of ice at Serperior, but it dodged at the last second. Serperior was now behind Walrein and lunged at him. A large razor sharp leaf extended out of Serperior's side and slashed across Walrein's back. Walrein's face scrunched up in pain from the vicious attack as he tried to get eyes on Serperior once again. With Walrein's heavy body, he wasn't as agile and was a sitting duck against Serperior and Corey knew he needed to make a move to get this fight to turn around in his favor.

"Walrein, let's get serious. Use Hail!" Corey ordered.

Walrein's eyes glowed a light blue and the sky began to fill with dark clouds. As the clouds blocked the sun, the temperature dropped and small pops were heard as frozen water droplets began to pelt the ground. The hail began to grown in size a little bit and started to fall down harder. Trent narrowed his eyes as he had expected Corey to have a battlefield changing move up his sleeve, but that didn't matter.

"Hail's not going to help you, Corey. I've trained my Serperior to withstand this kind of weather." Trent said.

"Whoever said that is was supposed to inflict harm on Serperior?" Corey challenged.

Trent shook his head and snapped his fingers. Serperior sprung into the air and did a nose dive toward Walrein. Corey knew Aerial Ace wasn't going to do much damage against Walrein, but decided to use this to his advantage. As Serperior was nearing Walrein, Corey made his move.

"Ice Beam!" Corey barked.

Walrein opened his mouth and a beam of ice shot straight at Serperior like a bullet. Corey had to improvise to hit Serperior due to the speed advantage it had. What better way to do that than lure it into a false sense of security. The beam of ice crashed into Serperior and blasted her back. Serperior hit the ground and rolled back towards Trent, ice freezing part of her body. Trent gave a frustrated growl at the setback and looked down at Serperior with a glare.

"Get up." Trent sneered.

Serperior struggled a bit as she managed to push herself up. Something else caught Trent's eye as he noticed the wound on Walrein's back that Serperior gave him with Leaf Blade was healed up. His mind began to try and come to a conclusion as to how that happened. He finally figured it out as he thought back to Corey's words. The hail that he summoned with Walrein wasn't supposed to inflict damage, but to heal Walrein. Walrein had the ability known as Ice Body, which allowed the Pokémon to recover from any damage when hail was present.

Trent had to give Corey credit that he at least had some form of skill, but it still wouldn't be enough to win the fight. Serperior managed to break off whatever ice formed on her body and was ready to move once again. Trent decided it would be a good time to inflict as much damage as he on Walrein to prevent the hail from helping him recover as much as possible. Serperior glanced back at him and Trent pointed at Walrein.

"Use your speed to distract him and wait for my signal. We've toyed with him long enough." Trent instructed.

Serperior nodded and slithered towards Walrein. Corey ordered Walrein to use his next move being Blizzard. Blizzard would hit Serperior because of the hailstorm increasing the accuracy and would cause some heavy damage to her. The ice cold blast of wind and hail struck Serperior on the side, earning a cry of pain from the Grass-Type. Serperior was able to persevere and continued her maneuver around Walrein. Just as Serperior got behind Walrein, Trent gave his order.

"Hit him with Leaf Storm."

Serperior's eyes began to glow green as leaves began to shoot off of her body. Hundreds of sharp leaves hung in the air for a moment before shooting at Walrein in a vicious whirlwind. The leaves began to slice into Walrein, earning a loud cry of pain from the Pokémon. Corey bared his teeth as he watched the powerful attack crash into Walrein with terrifying strength. That move was one of strongest moves a Grass Type could learn and this was definitely going to set Corey back from all the damage that Walrein just obtained.

Walrein managed to resist the pain and his eyes landed on Serperior as she began to slither around the arena with exceptional speed. Corey took a deep breath as he analyzed the situation before him. From the way he saw it, both him and Trent were nearing the end of their fight. Both of them managed to land their special attacks on their opponent and there was no way either of them could take another hit of that magnitude.

"Walrein, use Ice Ball!" Corey hollered.

"Pathetic," Trent said with a shake of his head. "Serperior, cut it with Leaf Blade."

Walrein lobbed another large chunk of ice at Serperior just as Serperior shot at Walrein again. Serperior had another pair of razor sharp leaves extend from her body and gave a swift swing. The leaf cut through the ice like a knife through butter. Serperior was upon Walrein again and jumped into the air with another Aerial Ace. She plummeted down at Walrein and smashed into him headfirst. Walrein's fat managed to absorb a good amount of the hit but he still took some moderate damage from the brutal attack. Walrein took the chance and acted on his own to counterattack.

He opened his mouth and another beam of freezing ice shot from it. The beam of ice crashed straight into Serperior's chest knocking her to the ground from the power. Trent gave a grunt and ordered Serperior to get up once again and fight. Corey was putting up a good fight, but Trent was growing irritated of his persistent desire to win. He still had one trick up his sleeve and he was going to use it to end his battle with Corey.

"Alright, I've toyed with you enough. I'm going to wrap this up." Trent said.

"What's that now?" Corey asked.

"I want to wrap this up. I've fought you long enough, so I will end our little fight here. I will advance to the next round and wipe the floor with your friends."

"Don't get cocky, Trent. That'll be your downfall."

"You don't get it do you? I've been trained by my mother who happens to be a protégé of Lorelei. I'm on a completely different level than all of you here. I'm only in this tournament to test my strength and as far as I can tell, there's not much competition."

"Really? I'd imagine my buddy Tom would probably be your biggest threat."

"Please, he's nothing special. Once I take you down, I'll take him down. You both will experience the true wrath of a Champion."

"Coming from the guy who hasn't even fought a Champion?"

Trent's hands clenched and his knuckles cracked at that comment. While he didn't make it to the Champions of any of the leagues he participated in, he knew he had the potential to reach them.

"Serperior, use Attract!" Trent barked, his anger finally showing.

Serperior looked directly at Walrein and blinked. A ring of hearts hovered over to Walrein and circled around him. Before Corey could react, Walrein was overcome with the sudden attack. The hearts vanished and Walrein's battle stance slackened and became still. Corey cursed once Walrein became infatuated with Serperior and knew he would have to get lucky to reach through to Walrein and get him to snap out of it.

"Walrein, focus, you're going to get hit!" Corey barked.

"It's over," Trent said, pointing at Walrein. "Serperior, end it with Leaf Blade."

Serperior dashed at Walrein and the leaves sprouted from her body again. She brought the leaves back and swung forward as hard as she could. The attack hit Walrein directly in the chest and managed to make him roll back from the continuous push. Walrein was rendered unconscious from the harsh attack. The crowd was silent before erupting into cheers from the spectacular performance between Corey and Trent. Corey nodded and returned Walrein to his Pokeball, giving him praise for a job well done.

"Let that be a lesson to you, Corey. I'm on a different level than all of you and this proves it. Your Pokémon are no match for mine," Trent said, recalling Serperior.

"Whatever Trent. The way I see it is I still beat you in the leagues while your so called level of skill has only placed you in the top eight only once. So why don't you reflect on that for a bit?" Corey said, turning on his heel and descending the stairs.

**"Well one thing's for sure, that battle was great!"** John cheered, **"Although it was quite the turn of events this time around. Trent Phoenix will be the one entering the second round instead of Corey."**

**"I have to tell you John, I didn't think it would turn out this way. I was going with Corey on this match, but Trent definitely proved otherwise."** Bob said.

**"We're almost near the end for the first round with just two more fights."**

**"Right you are, John. We're going to take a break for our sponsors and we'll be back with more battles before you know it, don't go away. This is the Pokémon Battle Network."**

* * *

Corey continued his march back to his friends. Gazing at them through his glasses he could see their looks of disbelief at his loss against Trent. Kenta, Eri, Vanessa and Elliott were trying to wrap their minds around the concept that he lost. He shrugged and sat down by Tom and Hayley as he waited for the commercial break to end so he could watch Elliott's fight.

"You burned him with those comments, dude," Tom said, holding up his fist.

"Yeah, I think I got under his skin with some of those jabs," Corey chuckled, bumping Tom's fist in return.

"I gotta give you credit for keeping your cool. I would've slapped that jerk for insulting my Pokémon." Hayley said.

"His ego is big, so the only way for him to see reality is to lose a battle. So hopefully we can get the joy of watching that happen."

"Man, I hope I don't have to fight him." Elliott said.

"Why?" Kenta asked.

"Kenta, the guy is a giant douche. Would you want to be stuck battling him in the next round?"

"No."

"Well there you go."

* * *

Elliott stood up and cracked her knuckles, back and neck as she prepared for her fight. She pulled out the Pokeball containing her Pokémon for the first round. She took a deep breath and started to psych herself up for the upcoming battle. Her confidence was high and she was positive she would walk out with a victory for round one. As long as she trusted in her Pokémon, there was no way she would lose. A grin spread across her face as the music echoed around the stadium again. She turned to her friends and gave a two fingered salute as she started walking off.

"I'll see you in round two." Elliott grinned.

"For sure," Kenta nodded. "You got it, Elliott. Just stay focused and ready to counterattack when the opportunity presents itself."

"Yeah, yeah, I know how to battle."

Elliott continued her advancement to the stage and felt her heartbeat increase from the adrenaline. She had difficulty from letting a large grin spread across her face. What she was feeling was just like she dreamt. The crowds cheering filled her being with adrenaline. Elliott glanced up at the screen and observed some of the footage from the earlier battles and then it switched to her. She clutched her Pokeball as she looked across the field and into the eyes of her challenger. Her green eyes bore into her opponent's red eyes as they looked at each other with equal determination.

**"Boy howdy, looks at the way they're staring each other down. I can feel the tension from my seat and it's got me jacked!"** John bellowed.

**"John, calm down man, the battle hasn't started yet. Save it for when they going at it,"** Bob said, patting John on the shoulder.

**"Bob, quit being a buzzkill!"**

**"Alright, let the match between Elliott Kane and Dante Griffin begin!"**

* * *

Elliott and Dante reeled their arms back and released their Pokeballs. Both of the capsules opened halfway out on the field and two figures materialized. In front of Elliott stood her Sawk, Ace and in front of Dante stood a Pikachu. Once getting the signal from the referee, Dante snapped his fingers, making Pikachu dart forward with exceptional speed. Elliott scowled at the speed factor but it vanished when she remembered the trick she had up her sleeve. While speed was not on her side, she certainly had something that would be the ace in the hole for her.

"Ace, get ready to move on my command." Elliott said.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Dante yelled.

Pikachu jumped in the air and its tail transfigured as it became coated in steel. He flipped in the air to bring the tail down on top of Ace's crown. Ace watched with close eyes and a relaxed stance as he waited to make his move.

"Ace, block the attack and follow up with Counter!" Elliott ordered.

Ace nodded and raised one arm to block Pikachu's incoming attack. Pikachu's tail landed with a solid thud on Ace's arm, but Ace managed to resist the hit. Ace's free fist clenched and came up at blinding speed and collided into Pikachu's side. Pikachu gave a cry of pain as it pushed itself off and landed a few feet away. Ace lowered his arm and shook it off a bit to free it from the numbing sensation.

"Nice job, Ace. Let's turn it up with Focus Energy!" Elliott said.

Ace gave a grunt and closed his eyes, putting his fists together. His meditation was slowly building power and Pikachu attempting to recover gave him ample time to do so. Pikachu finally shook off the effects of the attack and glared at Ace from his crouched position.

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Dante barked.

Pikachu started dashing forward and was surrounded in crackling electricity. Elliott's eyes narrowed at the devastating attack coming towards Ace. While she knew she could have Ace counter the attack, it felt like too much of a risk since that attack could paralyze him and deal tremendous damage. Elliott wanted to secure a victory for herself, so she decided to play it safe.

"Ace, dodge it!" Elliott ordered.

"Don't let him get away, Pikachu!" Dante yelled.

Pikachu closed the gap between him and Ace quicker than Elliott had anticipated and she cursed under her breath. Pikachu slammed headfirst into Ace's stomach with terrifying power and enveloped him in a large crackling burst of electricity. Ace's face contorted to one of pain as the attack continued to deal massive damage to him. Once the attack stopped, it created a small blast of energy that launched Ace back and sent him bouncing across the ground. Ace put his hand out and used his momentum to push himself up. He flipped in the air and landed on his feet, facing Pikachu with a stern look. Elliott was thankful that Ace had such good endurance and was able to continue fighting.

"Ace, get in close and use Brick Break!" Elliott shouted.

Ace leapt forward and landed in front of Pikachu who was suffering from the recoil of Volt Tackle. He brought his fist back as it was glowing white and prepared to bring it down on top of Pikachu. Dante acted quickly and ordered Pikachu to dodge Ace's attack. Pikachu hopped back to avoid Ace's fist, but this in turn made Elliott smirk as Pikachu was still within range of Ace's other attack.

"Ace, hit him with Low Sweep!" Elliott barked.

"Pikachu, watch out!" Dante warned.

Pikachu attempted to move again, but was too slow. Ace successfully swung his foot across the ground at Pikachu and it connected with the side of Pikachu's head. The force of the hit was so strong that Pikachu went airborne for a few seconds before hitting the ground in a heap from the painful hit. Pikachu pushed himself up gingerly and swayed a little bit, clearly dazed from the attack. He shook his head and his vision cleared up. Pikachu glared at Ace and was met with a calm look.

"Pikachu, use Flash!" Dante commanded.

Pikachu's body began to glow a little bit until a blinding flash of white light filled the arena. There was a collective hiss from the audience after being blinded from the bright light. Ace's eyes scrunched shut in pain as they burned from watching the flash. With Ace trying to recollect himself, Dante continued his attack. He cracked his knuckles and pointed at Ace.

"Pikachu, hit him with Iron Tail again!"

Pikachu jumped in the air and his tail was covered in a shiny coat of steel. He flipped and brought the top of his tail down on top of Ace's head. A loud clang echoed around the arena as Pikachu's tail made contact with Ace's head. Ace stumbled away and rested his hands on his head to muffle his ringing ears. Pikachu bounded away from Ace to steer clear of any surprise attacks. Dante decided to wrap up the match and the best opportunity he had was to use Volt Tackle again.

While Dante was busy finalizing his plan, Elliott managed to get Ace's focus back on the match. She knew that Ace had taken heavy damage and the only chance she had was to deal enough damage back to Pikachu in this next hit if she wanted to advance to round two of the tournament. Her mind raced as she searched for a legitimate strategy to use in order to secure her victory. After moments of deliberating, she came to a conclusion and got ready to put her plan into play.

"Ace, use Focus Energy and then wait for my go. We're going to finish this with a single hit." Elliott instructed.

Ace pressed his fists together and took one long breath as he gathered whatever energy he had and prepared to use it. He opened his eyes and fixated them on Pikachu. As soon as he did that, Pikachu started to dash forward and cloaked himself in crackling electricity. Ace narrowed his eyes in concentration and put his faith into Elliott as he awaited her call to make a move. Pikachu was closing the gap fast and was just upon Ace when Elliott made her call.

"Ace, absorb the hit as best as you can!" Elliott hollered.

Ace gave a grunt and took a fixed stance just as Pikachu jumped up to collide with him. Just like before, Pikachu smashed directly into Ace's stomach and began to shock him with powerful volts of electricity. Ace's body trembled with pain as the electricity coursed through his body, but he continued to stay strong. He was determined to get a win for himself and his master and the only way to do that was to endure the hit and attack back when he had the opportunity. The attack started to die down and Elliott realized that this would be her only chance to make her move.

"Ace, grab on to Pikachu's tail and use Counter!" Elliott yelled.

Pikachu pushed himself off of Ace's chest to escape from his hand, but it was no use. Ace's reflexes were far faster than Pikachu's speed and it was easy for him to latch onto Pikachu's tail. He pulled Pikachu back to him and sent the strongest punch he could. The punch hit Pikachu in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. Pikachu's pupils shrunk from the pain and he was sent into the air. He hovered for a few seconds before crashing into the ground. Once Pikachu didn't stir, the referee made the final call.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! The winner is Elliott Kane of Accumula Town!"

"Alright, damn-it! That's what I'm talking about!" Elliott cheered.

Ace walked over to Elliott and received a high five from her for his performance.

"Nice job, Ace! If we keep this up, we can win this tournament!" Elliott encouraged.

**"Now that was an outstanding battle! What do you think, John?"** Bob asked

**"Took the words right out of my mouth, Bob. Elliott just put her trust in her Sawk and had faith that he could endure not one, but two Volt Tackles. Two Volt Tackles! I mean take a look at this!"** John said, pulling up his pad and tracing circles.

**"John, give me the pad."**

**"No! Hey, get your hands off it Bob!"**

Elliott returned Ace to his Pokeball and walked over to Dante who had pocketed Pikachu's Pokeball after returning him to it. She held out her hand and Dante grabbed it, giving it a strong shake.

"Thanks for the fight, Dante." Elliott said.

"No problem. You definitely had a good strategy." Dante replied.

* * *

The pair of them finished their handshake and departed the arena. Dante walked to the medical area to have Pikachu treated for his injuries and Elliott walked back over to her friends. She received a lot of pats on the back for her well executed battle and felt accomplished for getting a win and moving on in the tournament. Although Corey was out of the tournament after losing to Trent, the rest of the group made it through the first round and now one step closer to winning it. John and Bob finally stopped fighting over the pad that John was messing with earlier and announced the final match of round one between Itzal Fuji and Ria Lorein.

Itzal was using his Dusknoir and Ria was using her Lunatone. Both of them put up a good fight, however with Itzal's Dusknoir having the type advantage over Ria's Lunatone, the fight ended with Itzal being the victor. Dusknoir used a well-placed Shadow Sneak attack and managed to score a direct hit behind Lunatone, knocking it out and securing his victory into round two.

**"And that's the end of the first round. We've seen a lot of impressive battles out of this group of rookies and I cannot wait to see what else is in store for round two!"** Bob said.

**"Bob, this round alone provided an excellent amount of clips and replays to make a highlight reel for the day, but I think I'm going to have to wait until the tournament is finished before I put it together."** John added.

**"I have to agree with you, John. We still have some more battles to watch before we put it together and there's bound to be better replays to come. Let's get the second round underway but shuffling the names on the screen here."**

The participants that were still in the tournament looked up at the monitor and watched as their faces were flipped over and shuffled around. Taking the brief seconds they had, all of the remaining trainers glanced at their possible opponents and began picking out who they were hoping to battle. The cards on the screen stopped moving and flipped over to reveal who was facing who for the second round.

Eric Stone vs Raven Castiel, Hayley White vs Itzal Fuji, Kenta Hammer vs Alondra Hanson, Vanessa Blake vs Trent Phoenix, Tom Sandbourne vs Nova Colvin, Elliott Kane will be participating in round three due to an odd number of trainers. Once the matches were set, the crowd began cheering again as their excitement grew for the second round.

Tom observed the screen as he continued contemplating on who else he should consider a strong trainer. He had seen a decent amount of fights and skill, but he didn't want to jump the gun too soon. This next round would provide him the chance to see more strategy and skill of other trainers before he came to his final decision on who he would present the proposition to. Looking down at the list one last time, he looked at the names he had written down.

Corey Spina, Indigo Galaxia and Vanessa Blake were the names scribbled on the paper. He was thinking about writing down Trent, but he decided to hold off for a little longer. When he watched the fight between Corey and Trent, Tom felt as though Trent got lucky given Corey's skill and felt the need to observe another battle of his. Tom sighed and tucked his notebook away again and looked up at the screen. His eyebrows raised in surprise when he saw one name he recognized.

"No way, he's here?" Tom said, a grin spreading across his face.

"What did you say?" Eri asked.

"Nothing, I just noticed a name on the screen and it's a friend of mine."

Tom got up and walked over to the stage to find his friend. After weaving through some of the contestants, his eyes fell on the person he was looking for. The teen had clean cut dark brown hair, green eyes, somewhat tanned complexion, lean muscle and stood at six foot two. He was wearing a black baseball hat, a green long sleeve cotton shirt over a grey t-shirt, dark blue denim jeans, and brown steel toe boots. Tom walked up behind the teen and crossed his arms with a smirk.

"Well, can't say I imagined seeing you here, Stoner." Tom said.

The teen turned around and came face to face with Tom. Eric Stone's eyes widened in brief surprised before he grinned back at Tom.

"Sandman! It's the Sandman!" Eric greeted.

"What are you doing here, Eric? I thought you were sitting back and relaxing before commissioning next year?" Tom asked.

"Dude, do you really think I'm going to sit around Viridian County for a whole year with none of my friends around? Besides, I haven't been to Unova and I think I could use one last adventure before my career as a trainer is done."

"I hear you on that. So I guess you're here to compete in the Unova League?"

"You know it. Hey, why don't we continue this conversation when I win my fight?"

"Sounds good, Eric. Be sure not to underestimate Raven. He's proven to be quite the battler if you saw the fight between him and Dwayne."

"Sandman, it's me we're talking about here, I'm too badass to lose."

Eric gave Tom's shoulder a light punch and proceeded to walk towards the arena. Tom chuckled and shook his head at Eric's antics. His overconfidence was still strong as ever, which had gotten both him and Tom into trouble a plethora of times in the past when they were kids. Shaking his head, Tom walked back to Eri, Corey, Hayley, Kenta, Elliott and Vanessa to watch Eric's fight.

"So who was that?" Vanessa asked.

"I'll introduce you when he finishes his match. I would suggest you watch him battle though." Tom replied.

"Is he good?" Kenta asked.

"Just watch and see."

The group turned their focus to the arena and watched as Eric and Raven walked up to the battlefield. Eric adapted a serious look as he pulled out a Pokeball and received a similar look from Raven as he, too, pulled out a Pokeball. Music echoed around the coliseum and garnered cheers from the audience.

**"Welcome back to the Nacrene City Battle Tournament here on the Pokémon Battle Network! I'm Bob Houser and sitting beside me is my partner in crime, John Pederson."** Bob greeted.

**"Thanks Bob. We've seen some incredible battles today and now we've got more in store for you all. To kick off the second round of matches we have Eric Stone vs Raven Castiel."** John said.

**"It's going to be interesting, that's for sure. We've got Raven Castiel who won his first battle in round one with excellent strategy and now we've got Eric Stone who's an enigma. We have yet to see what he is capable of and I'm sure he'll demonstrate it against Raven in this battle."**

**"Right you are, John. Now let's get down the field and start this round."**

The referee looked between Raven and Eric and once he determined that they were ready to go, gave the signal to begin. Eric and Raven brought their arms back and released the Pokeballs. Both of them opened with a crack and two Pokémon materialized on the field. In front of Eric was a Feraligatr and in front of Raven was a dark looking Dragon-Type. The unknown Dragon-Type made Tom pull out his Pokedex to scan it.

_**"Hydreigon, the Pseudo-Legendary Dark/Dragon-Type Pokémon. It responds to movement by attacking. This brutal Pokémon travels the skies on its six wings. The heads on their arms do not have brains. They use all three heads to consume and destroy everything. This scary, three-headed Pokémon devours everything in its path."**_ Dexter informed.

"Oh man, that just sounds unpleasant," Kenta said, looking at the description.

_"Eric, I hope you know what you're doing,"_ Tom thought, glancing at his friend.

**"Let the match between Raven Castiel and Eric Stone begin!"** John said.

* * *

**That's the chapter guys, I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter will be out when I get the time. The school semester is almost 3/4s of the way done and I am preparing for finals and projects. I'm also the XO of Alpha Company, so I'm second in command until early December, so I'm busy with that. Remember to read the announcements at the end of the chapter. On a side note, I hope you all took the time to vote if you were eligible to do so. That's all I had for you guys, till next time.-CaptainPrice**

**Battle Record: W:L:D (Wins/Losses/Draws)**

**Tom: 4:1:1**

**Corey: 2:1:1**

**Kenta: 3:1:0**

**Elliott: 2:2:0**

**Vanessa: 3:0:0**

* * *

**Announcements:**

**1.) Nothing much for you really, just take a look at the stories that I have in the shoutout box below. Drop a review guys, these are stories that I believe are a good read and you should take the time to read them when you get the chance.**

**2.) Don't forget about my other story, "Rise of the Hybrids". **

**3.) On October 22nd, I successfully took on the Elite 4 and Champion Iris in Pokemon Black 2 and beat all of them on my first try. This was my team of awesomeness. 1.) Serperior 2.) Lucario 3.) Krookodile 4.) Ampharos 5.) Arcanine 6.) Altaria**

**Story Shoutouts:**

**"The Pokemon Takeover: The Unova Undertaking" by OwenG2107:**

**This story revolves around an OC named Alexander and his friends that start their Pokemon journey. At the start of the journey, they are assigned a great task by Professor Juniper. I'm not going to spoil it for you, so that's why I'm giving this story a shoutout so ya'll can read it. Give it a read and some constructive comments.**

**"Pokemon: Children of Arceus" by OwenG2107:**

**Nate, Rosa and their friends find themselves travelling together on a journey through the Unova region. The year is 2036 and Hilda and N are proud and happy to say that their kids are travellign on a journey through the tough routes and often scary cities. They are looking forward to meeting new friends and even enemies. **

**"From Darkness Comes Light" by PhatomStorm and DrummerGirl:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

**"Hard Time" by The Helpless Romantic:**

**This is one of the many original stories that I have come across and it is very intriguing. The story follows a Cacturne named Atticus Patrick or "Pins" that has been placed inside a prison known as "The House on the Hill" and is currently trying to adapt to living there as he serves his sentence. However, there is more to the prison and its inhabitants. All I can say is that it will pull you in with its plot, characters and story line.**

******"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well. **

**"Countermeasures and Retaliation" by Barrett M107: Definitely check this story out.**

**Pokemon gangs are on the rise in Unova and more rookie trainers are joining them out of fear. The police and gym leaders can only do so much. However, one professor has been tracking each of the gangs movements and has decided enough is enough. He gathers a group of some of the strongest trainers of the generation around to fight back. Little do they know though that something more powerful is on the rise.**


	17. Nacrene City Battle Tournament Part 3

**Hey all, Captain here with another riveting, adrenaline pumping, spine tingling, action packed chapter of kick-assness. I apologize for the lengthy wait on this chapter guys, but I was busy with school assignments and I just finished my last final today (booyah!) which means I can update a little quicker. Now before we get to the chapter, I would like to say I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and leave a review for the amount of work I put into it. This is the longest chapter for the story which sits at 13,393 words long without this author's note. This chapter was 34 pages long in the microsoft word document so yeah. This chapter is packed with all the matches for round two so I apologize for the redundancy in advance, but I want to get the tournament over with so we can get back to the actual story again. Stay tuned for the end author note and the announcements. Without further delay, let's get to the chapter!**

**Warning: This chapter has some swearing in it but nothing over the top.**

******Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I own the OCs (Tom, Sparks, Sully, Eric, Roy, Alice, Langdon, Pierce, Clint), this story, and the idea of the story.**

**Chapter Summary: The Nacrene City Battle Tournament continues with starting its second round. Eric and Raven turn up the heat for the battles to come and we see a lot of heart pounding action through the round.**

**Bold- Message Bulletins/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/ Xtransreceiver Conversations_**

* * *

The battle started immediately after John gave commencement. Eric locked eyes with Feraligatr and received a feral grin in return. He nodded and Feraligatr leapt at Hydreigon with impressive speed. Raven's eyes narrowed at the display of speed Feraligatr had shown with his charge. He snapped his fingers and Hydreigon flapped his wings to fly high into the air out of Feraligatr's range. Raven smirked at Eric as he wondered what he would try next since he had the air and was out of Feraligatr's reach. He was a little curious to see that Eric didn't look too bothered about the sudden change of events and he soon saw why.

"Alright, let's rock, Feraligatr! Do your thing!" Eric barked.

Feraligatr gave thumbs up in acknowledgement and glared up at Hydreigon. What happened next made everybody take a collective gasp in surprise. Feraligatr slammed his tail into the ground with such force that he catapulted himself into the air towards Hydreigon. Raven shook his head in disbelief and prepared to make his next move.

"Hydreigon, counter back with U-Turn!" Raven hollered.

Hydreigon responded quickly and tucked his head in, aiming directly for Feraligatr's chest. He shot at Feraligatr to score a direct hit on the surprised Pokémon. A loud thump echoed in the arena as Hydreigon's head collided into Feraligatr's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Feraligatr's eyes were wide with pain as the wind was knocked out of him. Eric reacted back just as fast as Raven with his follow-up move.

"Feraligatr, don't let up! Grab onto his neck and hit him with Brick Break!" Eric ordered.

Feraligatr did as he was told and wrapped his claws around Hydreigon's neck, not only stopping himself from falling to receive further injury, but to deal a hit right back. His free claws formed a fist and began to glow white with power. He brought his fist back and drove it right into Hydreigon's jaw with tremendous force. There was a crack as the painful hit crashed into Hydreigon, making him descend to the ground from the pain. Raven bared his teeth in annoyance at Feraligatr's tenacity and decided to take it up a notch.

"Hydreigon, focus and shake him free!" Raven shouted.

Hydreigon regained composure and shot forth with sharp speed, dragging Feraligatr along for the ride. He continued to pick up speed as he tried to make Feraligatr lose his death grip and let gravity do the work to pull him back to the earth. Feraligatr's vice grip came undone and he plummeted to the ground. He managed to go into a flip and landed on his feet, creating small cracks in the ground. Feraligatr wheeled round and glared up at Hydreigon as is flew high above him. Eric needed to come up with a strategy quick if he wanted this fight in his favor. With his mind racing, he came up with his next move.

"Fine then, Hydreigon, use Draco-Meteor." Raven said.

Hydreigon's head turned to the sky and his mouth opened to reveal an orange ball of energy. The ball of energy was launched skyward and continued to soar high. Eric had to make a move now to prevent Feraligatr from taking serious damage. His mind raced and he finally figured out his next plan of action.

"Feraligatr, get ready to make a move on my go." Eric said.

A loud bang resonated in the sky as the ball exploded into multiple meteorite fragments. The meteorites whistled as they plummeted towards the ground at Feraligatr.

"Feraligatr, use Surf!" Eric barked.

Feraligatr held his arms out as a large wave of water began to collect under him. Eric snapped his fingers and Feraligatr gave a kick with his tail, sending the wave high to Hydreigon and the meteorites. Just as the wave was within striking distance, Feraligatr sank into the entire wave and disappeared. The flaming rocks splashed into the large wave and gave loud hisses as they cooled. Mist began to coat the arena making it very difficult for the audience to see the match. As the wave died down, Feraligatr shot out of whatever water remained in the arena and high into the air again.

"Now hit that son of a bitch with Ice Punch!" Eric shouted.

Feraligatr's fist had a light blue aura emitting from it as he drew it back. He sent his fist forward with as much power as he could and scored a direct hit on the opposite side where he landed Brick Break. Hydreigon roared in pain from the brutal attack and glared down at Feraligatr with rage.

"Fire Blast!" Raven yelled.

Hydreigon's mouth opened and a large stream of fire shot out of it. The blast of fire formed into a star and smashed right into Feraligatr, covering him completely. Even the Feraligatr wasn't susceptible to a lot of damage from the attack it was still a painful thing to endure. Feraligatr crashed into the ground as the attack continued, creating a small crater. When the attack stopped, Hydreigon flew back down to the arena to see the outcome of the attack. Feraligatr clambered out of the crater and brushed off whatever dust covered him. He cracked his neck and glared back at Hydreigon.

"That's what I'm talking about, Feraligatr! Just keep going strong." Eric encouraged.

"Hydreigon, use Dark Pulse." Raven said.

Feraligatr had started charging towards Hydreigon to get another hit on him. Hydreigon had finished storing the negative energy and gave a loud roar. Dark black waves of power began to spread all over the arena. Upon making contact with Feraligatr, it made him stop in his track and tremble with pain.

"Feraligatr, keep moving!" Eric ordered.

"Futile effort," Raven muttered, shaking his head. "Hydreigon, use Draco-Meteor again."

Just like before, Hydreigon shot another orange ball of tremendous energy to the sky. Feraligatr managed to regain composure after flinching from the previous attack. He looked up at Hydreigon who had taken to the air once again.

"Feraligatr, use Brick Break!" Eric hollered.

Feraligatr sprang up into the air towards Hydreigon again with his fist glowing white with power. Hydreigon caught sight of the oncoming attack and bent his head low to retaliate. Hydreigon soared straight for Feraligatr without waiting for a command from Raven and smashed headfirst into Feraligatr's stomach. The hit was so strong the Feraligatr's attack stopped as he had the wind knocked out of him. He was sent back to the ground once again and landed hard on his knees. As Feraligatr tried to stand up, the ball of energy exploded above the stadium and more flaming meteorites fell towards him. Feraligatr stood up gingerly as he endured the pain from his hard landing. His eyes narrowed as he watched the blazing rocks fall from the sky.

"Feraligatr, jump up towards the meteorites and wait for my go!" Eric yelled

Feraligatr did as Eric ordered and shot back up towards the falling projectiles. Raven watched with close eyes as he tried to anticipate what Eric would have Feraligatr do next. He was too far away to hit Hydreigon and the only thing he could really do at this point is dodge the attack as best as he could. That's when Eric surprised him yet again with another attack to counter it.

"Feraligatr, use Ice Punch on a meteorite!" Eric ordered.

Feraligatr's fist was coated in the ice blue aura as he brought it back. He gave a punch at the nearest meteorite that was within range and sent it careening towards Hydreigon. Raven's eyes widened briefly in surprise at the attack that Feraligatr managed to pull off. The meteorite smashed into Hydreigon's chest cavity and stunned him from the pain. Feraligatr landed back on the ground and Eric revealed Feraligatr's last move.

"Ice Beam!" Eric yelled.

Feraligatr opened his mouth and a snow white glow began to appear in his mouth. Once it charged in his mouth, he released the stored power and a continuous white beam of ice flew at Hydreigon and hit him in the chest. Hydreigon began to move to try and escape but a thick casing of ice began to form on him. His wings began to flap frantically until he could no longer maintain his hovering state. He fell to the arena floor with a loud crash and began to struggle to break free. Feraligatr began to limp over to Hydreigon and deliver the final blow, but Raven had other plans.

"Hydreigon, use Dark Pulse to slow him down!" Raven sneered.

Hydreigon gave a mighty roar and the ominous black waves began to shoot across the arena. The waves hit Feraligatr and stopped him in his tracks again with the negative feeling it brought. Feraligatr bared his razor sharp teeth and clenched his fists. Taking one step forward in the threatening shockwaves he continued his slow trek to his downed opponent. Raven growled and was becoming annoyed with Feraligatr's adamant nature. Shaking his head he snapped his fingers.

"Hydreigon, use Fire Blast on the ground and melt that ice!" Raven ordered.

Hydreigon's mouth opened and unleashed a blazing inferno on the ground. The intense heat melted the ice that formed on his chest and allowed him to move freely again. He hovered in the air and gave a glare at Feraligatr that was capable of freezing Hell over. Feraligatr locked eyes with the enraged dragon and waited for it to make its move. Raven snapped his fingers to have gain Hydreigon's attention.

"Use U-Turn!" Raven said.

"Feraligatr, get ready!" Eric warned.

Feraligatr took a fixed stance and waited for Hydreigon to charge him. Hyrdeigon dashed at Feraligatr with exceptional speed and was almost upon him when Eric gave another command.

"Feraligatr, brace yourself and grab onto Hydreigon!" Eric ordered.

Feraligatr's feet were planted firmly into the ground as he prepared to stand his ground against the terrifying dragon. Hydreigon's head was about to smash into Feraligatr head-on, but stopped when Feraligatr's claws went up and grabbed its neck and arm. Hydreigon's free arm began to swipe at Feraligatr and take a bite at him with its head, but was failing miserably. The impact of the block was enough to have Feraligatr slide back, but he maintained his balance.

"What!?" Raven shouted in disbelief.

"Feraligatr, let's wrap this up with an old one-two." Eric said.

As the words left Eric's lips, Feraligatr's right fist was glowing with the power of ice once again. He brought it in for a strike across Hydreigon's face, knocking him senseless. Hydreigon landed on the ground in a heap, raising his head to get a visual of Feraligatr. The last thing that Hydreigon would see before getting knocked out would be Feraligatr's fist glowing white for Brick Break. The attack slammed on top of Hydreigon's head, forcing him to the ground. Feraligatr waited patiently for the match to be called as he kept his eyes on Hydreigon.

"Hydreigon is unable to battle! The winner is Eric Stone of Viridian City!" The referee announced.

* * *

The stadium erupted into cheers for the spectacular battle that they witnessed. It wasn't every day you got to see a battle with pseudo-legendary Pokémon. Raven held up his Pokeball and recalled Hydreigon to it. The sour expression on his face was more than enough to describe his mood. Feraligatr walked back to Eric and fist bumped him for a job well done.

"Nice job buddy. Take a good rest," Eric said, returning Feraligatr to his Pokeball.

Eric was about to cross the stage to shake Raven's hand for a good fight, but he had vanished. He sighed and shook his head before turning around to descend the stairs. He'd seen a fair amount of poor sportsmanship from some of the competitors today, mainly from Trent and Raven.

**"Looks like we're going to have to take a commercial break to fix the arena again, Bob. That fight was incredible!"** John said.

**"Right you are, John. If the battlefield keeps getting destroyed we may have to delay the rest of the matches until tomorrow."** Bob nodded.

**"We'll take a quick commercial break to allow the maintenance crew some time to patch up the arena, don't go anywhere! This is the Pokémon Battle Network."**

Eric made his way over to Tom and his friends so they could continue their conversation. Tom gave Eric a high five when he was within reach and clapped him on the back.

"Nice battle there, Chief." Tom grinned.

"Aw, thanks Sandman. Your battle was pretty intense from what I saw earlier." Eric replied.

"Hey, aren't you going to introduce this guy?" Elliott demanded.

"Patience toots."

Tom ducked from Elliott's punch to his face, narrowly avoiding it.

"To answer your question, this guy here is my brother from another mother, Eric Stone. He and I grew up next to each other and we both graduated from KNAMA." Tom said.

"So does that mean both of you are commissioning next year?" Corey asked.

"Yeah, it does."

"So are you both in the same unit?"

"No, actually, this is where we differ. In KNAMA you get the option of going into one of the four branches being Army, Marine, Navy or Air Force. I went Army and Eric went Navy."

"Although we may end up working together at some point." Eric added.

As the group continued talking, they learned more about Eric and Tom's past as they grew up together. Both of them traveled the Kanto region together on their first journey and they both battled each other in the Kanto League, which resulted with Eric being the victor and Tom's elimination in the second round. Both of them also ended up being ranked high in their class at KNAMA, not being the top cadets but being in the top twenty percent. They also had been given leadership positions at KNAMA for their prowess. Tom was a Cadet Captain while Eric was a Cadet Master Chief.

"Wow, you both have accomplished a bit so far in your lives." Eri said.

"Yeah, we have. The only downside is that this is our last year before we're sent off to start our careers in the military. So we don't have much time until our fun ends." Eric replied.

Tom broke away from the group and walked over to Hayley to check on her. She seemed to be lost in thought about something. He placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to jump in surprise from the sudden contact.

"Hey Hayley, are you okay?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking on how to approach my next match here." Hayley replied.

"Do you have a plan?"

"I do, yeah. I selected the Pokémon I am going to use, but I don't know how much of an effect it will have. If my hunch is correct, my opponent is a Ghost-Type specialist."

"Well hey, just do your best. If you lose, just take it in stride and take what you learned from your loss to better yourself."

"Thanks Tommy."

Music echoed around the stadium again and gathered the attention of the crowd and the participants. The intermission had gone on for a while to allow the reconstruction of the arena. The screen on the background showed highlights from the previous fights and ended with the fight between Feraligatr and Hydreigon. Tom gave Hayley a pat on the back and grinned at her. Hayley returned Tom's grin and walked over to the stairs to the arena.

**"Welcome back to the Nacrene City Battle Tournament here on the Pokémon Battle Network. I'm John Pederson and beside me is my partner in crime, Bob Houser."** John greeted.

**"Thanks John, and just in case any of you are just tuning in, we're currently in the second round of the tournament. The second match of round two will be between Hayley White and Itzal Fuji."** Bob said.

**"Hayley and Itzal have both shown their knowledge and skill in the first round so now I'm eager to see how this will play out."**

**"Well let's see where this goes. Let's go down to the field and start this match!"**

Hayley had reached her end of the arena and plucked a Pokeball from her waist. She pressed the button on the center and the Pokeball grew to its normal size. Across the field, Itzal had done the same thing and had an eager look on his face. He was ready to battle and secure his victory for the third round. Hayley smirked back and had the same thoughts running through her head.

"Let the match between Hayley White and Itzal Fuji begin!" The referee declared.

* * *

"Blitzle, let's go!" Hayley said, throwing her Pokeball out.

"Gengar, you're up," Itzal said, tossing his Pokeball out as well.

The Pokeballs opened with a crack and revealed the Pokémon to battle. Tom and Eri pulled out their Pokedexes to scan the new Pokémon that materialized on the field. The coliseum fell silent as they waited for the first attack to be given. The tension was high as Hayley and Itzal continued staring each other down. Not wanting to wait any longer, Hayley gave her first command.

"Blitzle, use Flame Charge!"

"Gengar, use Dark Pulse!" Itzal countered back.

Blitzle stomped his hooves a couple of times before being coated in a fiery blaze. He started to dash at Gengar in hopes to score a quick hit on him. Gengar had the advantage at the moment since he was on the other side of the field and had time to defend himself with a move of his own. Gengar gave a sinister grin as menacing waves of black energy began to spread across the ground. Blitzle charged straight through the waves but began to slow down from the pressure that was being let off from the negative energy. Itzal took the chance to use another attack and pointed at Blitzle.

"Gengar, hit Blitzle with Shadow Ball!" Itzal said.

Gengar held out his hands a dark purple ball began to build between them. The ball grew to a decent size before Gengar shoved both of his hands forward. Gengar's Shadow Ball sped at Blitzle with incredible speed and hit him directly in his side. Blitzle's face scrunched up in pain from the harsh attack and he was sent skidding back from the force. He shook his head wildly as his mane began to glow yellow.

"Blitzle, use Shockwave!" Hayley ordered.

"Gengar, Dark Pulse again, go!" Itzal barked.

Blitzle and Gengar released their stored energy and two simultaneous shockwaves came from them. Blitzle's Shockwave was one of electricity while Gengar's was one of maliciousness. The waves of power met dead center of the field and continued on towards their targets. Both trainers had to act quickly if they wanted to avoid the hit.

"Blitzle, hop in between the intervals of the waves by using Flame Charge!" Hayley shouted.

"Gengar, dodge the waves and use Focus Blast!" Itzal yelled.

Blitzle stomped his hooves again as another blaze began to surround him. He started leaping between each of the waves, gaining speed with each jump. Gengar jumped high into the air to avoid some of the electrical shocks and store his power for the next attack. He held both hands out once again, but this time a bright blue ball of rotating energy started to form in his hands.

As Blitzle was closing in on Gengar's position, Itzal snapped his fingers to have Gengar unleash the terrifying power. Gengar descended to the ground and released the gyrating ball of energy at Blitzle. The giant ball of power shot at Blitzle and looked impossible to dodge. Blitzle had gained so much speed from Flame Charge he just narrowly dodged the Focus Blast.

He closed the gap between him and Gengar and crashed headfirst into Gengar, causing him to stagger back from the hit. Gengar glared at Blitzle as he dragged his hoof across the ground in a taunting fashion. Itzal grimaced at the gesture of his opponent and decided to try a new tactic.

"Gengar, get in close to Blitzle and use Brick Break." Itzal said.

Gengar's grin returned with full force as he leapt at Blitzle. Just as Gengar was within range of Blitzle he became transparent and then vanished entirely. This threw Hayley and Blitzle for a loop as they searched frantically for the mischievous Pokémon.

_"What the hell just happened?"_ Hayley thought, narrowing her eyes.

Blitzle was just as confused as he continued trying to locate Gengar. Gengar appeared behind Blitzle with his fist glowing white with power. He struck Blitzle in the back, causing Blitzle to fall to his knees in pain. Hayley gave a growl in frustration at the dirty trick.

"Fine, if that's the game he wants to play then I'll play along." Hayley muttered. "Blitzle, use Pursuit!"

Blitzle pushed himself off the ground and some black aura formed around his crown. It happened so fast that Gengar had no time to register the attack. Blitzle's head smashed into Gengar's chest, making him wince in severe pain. The surprise Dark-Type attack caught Gengar off guard and forced him to hop away to avoid another hit. Blitzle turned around and locked eyes with Gengar once again and waited for him to strike.

"Gengar, use Shadow Ball!" Itzal hollered.

Gengar began to have another purple ball of spiteful energy form in his hands. He launched the attack at Blitzle in hopes to get another hit on the speedy Pokémon.

"Dodge and use Flame Charge!" Hayley shouted.

Blitzle jumped to the side and avoided the Shadow Ball, causing it to shoot past him and into a wall. Blitzle started dashing at Gengar again with speed even greater than before. Itzal's calculating eyes looked on with thought as he tried to determine the cause of Blitzle's speed increase. His mind began to rewind through the battle as he played each of Blitzle's attacks one by one. That's when it hit him. Flame Charge increased Blitzle's speed each time it was used and would double whenever it would make contact with the opponent. His mouth twitched in annoyance at not noticing that earlier. He had seen Hayley do the exact same thing in her match against Luna with her Pignite.

_"This girl is pretty clever, but that's not going to stop me."_ Itzal thought. "Gengar, dodge and use Focus Blast!"

Gengar vanished from sight again causing Blitlze to turn around, continuing his Flame Charge attack. Blitzle jumped high in the air and crashed into something solid. He fell back to the ground and shook his head clear as he landed. A small fire appeared in the air and Gengar came into sight once again. Itzal was now wondering how Blitzle knew Gengar's position. He knew that Gengar would attack from behind but there was no way Blitzle should have been able to notice him that fast.

_"This doesn't add up. Blitzle shouldn't have noticed Gengar's position for at least another ten seconds, so how did he figure it out so quickly?"_ Itzal thought.

His eyes widened in realization.

_"Wait a minute…"_ Itzal pondered.

_/Flashback/_

_"Blitzle, use Pursuit!" Hayley barked._

_Blitzle pushed himself off the ground and some black aura formed around his crown. It happened so fast that Gengar had no time to register the attack. Blitzle's head smashed into Gengar's chest, making him wince in severe pain._

_/Flashback End/_

"Crap, that's how she did it!" Itzal muttered. "She used Pursuit to heighten Blitzle's senses and by increasing his awareness he was able to lock on to Gengar's position. I seriously underestimated her."

Gengar landed on the ground and shook himself free of the blistering flames. He jumped back from Blitzle and waited for Itzal to come up with a new strategy. Itzal was contemplating his new plan since his usual strategy with Gengar was now going to be ineffective against Blitzle. He nodded to himself as he came to a decision on what to do next.

"Gengar, get in close and use Brick Break." Itzal said.

Gengar jumped at Blitzle with his fist glowing white. He was within striking distance and Hayley was ready to counter back with an attack of her own. Itzal suddenly shouted out a new command as he managed to succeed with the first part.

"Gengar swerve right and use Dark Pulse!" Itzal barked.

Gengar's fist stopped glowing white as he narrowly missed Blitzle. He landed beside him and released a torrential amount of black waves. Blitzle trembled from the overwhelming harmful energy as it glued him to the spot with pain. Gengar hopped back and Itzal gave another order while Dark Pulse continued to work as a temporary adhesive to hold Blitzle in place.

"Focus Blast!" Itzal yelled.

"Blitzle shake it off and use Thunderwave!" Hayley shouted back.

Blitzle spun around and focused his gaze on Gengar who was a good distance away and charging up Focus Blast. He sank down low and gave a cry as yellow wave began emanating from his body. The electric waves made contact with Gengar as he continued building the power of Focus Blast. His body began to tingle as the electricity started to numb him a bit.

"Gengar, do it now!" Itzal ordered.

Gengar thrust his palms out and sent the spiraling ball of energy at Blitzle. Blitzle tried to move but was still trembling with fear from the Dark Pulse that Gengar did earlier. He could only watch as the ball came closer and closer. A thunderous boom resonated around the stadium as a thick black cloud of dust and smoke obscured the view of the crowd.

Blitzle was sent flying through the smoke and landed on the ground in blinding pain. Hayley bit her lip and her concern for Blitzle went up when she saw him struggling to stand up. Blitzle stood up gingerly and swayed as he tried to balance from the pain. Gengar was now on the opposite end of the field and fairing much better than Blitzle.

"Gengar, end it with Shadow Ball!" Itzal called.

"Blitzle, let's give it all we have. Use Flame Charge!" Hayley hollered.

Both Pokémon faced each other again and prepared to dish out a final attack. Gengar held out his hands and another purple ball began to build up again. Blitzle stomped his hooves and started to bolt towards Gengar, coating himself in flames during the process. Gengar sent the Shadow Ball at Blitzle but he dodged it. Gengar tried once again to form a Shadow Ball but he stopped dead as his body trembled.

Yellow chains of electricity appeared around Gengar signaling the paralysis taking hold of him. Blitzle charged headfirst into Gengar with all of his might and kept on pushing to overpower him. Another explosion echoed around the area as the attack burst from the energy input. When the smoke cleared, Blitzle was getting to his feet and Gengar was swaying as he tried to stay upright. Gengar blinked and fell face first to the floor. After ten seconds, the match was called.

"Gengar is unable to battle! The winner is Hayley White of Nuvema Town!" The referee said.

Blitzle galloped over to Hayley and was met with a hug. Hayley caressed Blitzle's mane as he nuzzled her face.

"I'm so proud of you, Blitzle. You hung in there and managed to win. Thank you so much." Hayley said.

Hayley returned Blitzle to his Pokeball and stood up to stretch. Itzal had returned Gengar to his Pokeball and thanked him for doing the best he could. He walked over to Hayley to shake her hand and Hayley did the same. Hayley held out her hand and Itzal shook it.

"Thank you for the battle," Itzal said, bowing his head. "You really know how to battle and you gave me a good challenge."

"Aw, you're so cute!" Hayley said, ruffling his hair. "You truly are an excellent battler as well, Itzal. I look forward to a rematch whenever you want one."

Itzal's face flushed as Hayley messed with his hair. He shook his head free and began to walk away. He gave a farewell wave as he made his way off the field and out of sight.

* * *

Hayley waltzed down the stairs and whistled a happy tune as she made her way back to her friends. Tom was the first to greet her and had his hand up for a high five. Hayley surprised him when she wrapped him up in a hug instead. He blinked in confusion and wrapped his arms around her to return the gesture. Neither of them noticed the glares from Eri or Vanessa.

"Thanks for the confidence booster, Tommy. I really needed that." Hayley whispered.

"Hey don't worry about it, that's what friends do." Tom replied.

Hayley broke the hug and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. The two of the walked back to the bench and sat down.

**"That's what I call an excellent match! Both parties knew how to battle and they engaged each other in a battle of wits and tested their skills by throwing new strategies and obstacles in each other's path to overcome the other. Just an excellent battle!"** Bob said.

**"I couldn't agree more, John! I was blown away with that fight, but what sold it for me was Hayley having Blitzle use Pursuit and then doing this!"** John said, tracing his finger on the pad on the replay of Blitzle hitting Gengar in midair when he was invisible.

**"That was indeed a great strategy."**

**"Now for out next contestants, we have Kenta Hammer and Alondra Hanson. I'm already rooting for that Kenta kid. He's provided an excellent replay with his Ponyta during round one."**

Kenta took a deep breath and cracked his neck and shoulders to loosen up. He selected his next Pokémon and went up to the stage. He could hear encouragement and support coming from his friends as he made his way up the stairs to the battlefield. Tossing the Pokeball up and down, he waited for his opponent to make her appearance.

Kenta wasn't sure what kind of Pokémon Alondra would use but he knew she was not to be underestimated. He saw her battle in round one with her Typhlosion and granted it was strong, he felt as though he could defeat it should she use it again. Her Typhlosion paled in comparison to Sully which was good. Kenta gave a shudder at the thought of going against Sully and prayed he wouldn't have to do that just yet.

Alondra came into view on the opposite end of the field. She had cobalt colored eyes, chestnut brown hair that fell to her upper back and a tan complexion. She was wearing a white long sleeve shirt, blue jeans, black and pink tennis shoes, black fingerless gloves and a white hat with a pink Pokeball icon on it. Kenta nodded at her in a greeting and as a good luck. Alondra nodded back and held out her Pokeball ready to battle again.

"Let the match between Kenta Hammer and Alondra Hanson begin!" The referee said.

* * *

"Here we go, Ace!" Kenta hollered, throwing out his Pokeball.

"Poliwrath, let's kick some ass!" Alondra cried out.

Jolteon appeared in front of Kenta and a Poliwrath materialized in front of Alondra. The third match was now underway.

"Ace, use Quick Attack!" Kenta ordered.

Ace bolted towards Poliwrath with incredible speed and was barely visible to the eye. Poliwrath stood strong and calm as Ace neared him. Alondra gave out her first order as she saw Ace within range.

"Poliwrath, use Protect!" Alondra said.

Poliwrath held up both hands and a green dome like barrier shielded him. Ace hit the barrier head on and bounced off giving a growl at Poliwrath. The barrier dropped and Poliwrath jumped towards Ace with exceptional speed.

"Brick Break!" Alondra said, giving a punch.

"Ace, dodge it and use Thunderbolt!" Kenta hollered.

Ace jumped back and narrowly avoided Poliwrath but he still got hit by the tail end of Brick Break. He winced as he landed a few feet away and began to crackle with electricity. Ace released a strong shock and landed a hard hit on Poliwrath. Poliwrath's eyes squeezed shut in pain as he endured the hit as best as he could. When Ace's attack ended, Poliwrath's eyes opened and he was glaring down at Ace.

"Ice Beam!" Alondra bellowed.

Poliwrath conjured up a glowing white ball of ice and it shot forth like a bullet. The continuous beam of ice blasted Ace off of his feet and made him land in the middle of the arena. The frigid attack caused thick and heavy ice to form on his body and Ace began to struggle to break free from it. The ice formed around his paws and around his neck, limiting his mobility. Alondra threw another punch as she got caught up in the fight.

"Hit him with Brick Break again!" Alondra yelled.

Poliwrath lunged forward with his fist glowing white. He brought his fist down on Ace, shattering the ice, causing additional damage and pain to the smaller Pokémon. Ace recovered from the hit quickly and bounded away to get out of range from Poliwrath so he could buy Kenta some time to think of a comeback. While Ace was out of range, Poliwrath began to move towards him to close the gap.

"Alright, let's try Hydro Pump!" Alondra shouted.

Poliwrath took a deep breath as he sucked in air to release his attack. Ace crouched down low as he prepared for the attack to come at him. Poliwrath exhaled and a large continuous blast of water shot from his mouth. Ace was running out of time and Kenta needed to make a move quickly.

"Ace, dodge and use Thunder on the Hydro Pump!" Kenta barked.

Ace jumped out of the way just in time and avoided the devastating attack. He began to glow yellow with power and he gave a loud cry as the powerful electric attack shot from his body. The chain of electricity hit the water and continued its track to Poliwrath as the water conducted it. The attack hit Poliwrath but it stopped the moment Poliwrath took the hit and he stopped the Hydro Pump. Ace landed back on the ground and ran at Poliwrath to attempt to score another hit.

"Ace, use Quick Attack!" Kenta ordered.

Ace vanished in a blur and dove headfirst into Poliwrath's chest. Poliwrath had the wind knocked out of him and he stumbled back to recuperate. Ace sank down low and kept his eyes locked with Poliwrath's as he anticipated the next move to come. Kenta felt a grin work its way across his face as he looked at Ace's determination and concentration. Alondra punched out again and started another attack.

"Ice Beam!" Alondra hollered.

Poliwrath sent another beam of ice at Ace and struck him again. This time it froze Ace in place and began to freeze him completely. Kenta needed to make another move or else Ace would be completely frozen. Shaking his head he returned his focus to the battle in front of him and watched as the ice was now building around Ace's neck and almost covering him.

"Ace, break free from that with Thunder!" Kenta shouted.

Ace had difficulty trying to focus from the intolerably cold attack as it consumed him. Closing his eyes, Ace began to charge all the electricity that he could and released it. There was a crack as the ice shattered and fell into harmless fragments on the ground. Ace trembled from the sheer cold and couldn't move or think due to the shock. Alondra took the chance and had Poliwrath move again.

"Poliwrath, use Brick Break and follow up with Hydro Pump!" Alondra cried.

Poliwrath's fist was glowing white with power and it struck Ace in the chest sending him airborne. He then took a deep breath to gather power to unleash another Hydro Pump on Ace when he landed. Ace barred his teeth in pain and landed on all fours as he hit the ground. He looked up and was met with a blast of water. The pressure was too much for him to handle as he was sent bouncing across the arena. Ace landed in a heap as the water continued to crash into his back. When the attack stopped, Ace was waterlogged and disoriented from getting hit. He stood up carefully and glared back at Poliwrath.

Kenta's fists were clenched as he looked at the situation taking place before him. Ace had taken a ton of damage and he wasn't going to be able to last much longer if those attacks kept coming. On the plus side, he did manage to inflict a decent amount of Poliwrath but it was proving to be tough as nails. Glancing around the arena, Kenta could see a plethora of puddles from Poliwrath's Hydro Pump attack and began to form a contingency plan. Ace shook his head free from any dizziness that he was feeling and crouched down as he awaited Kenta's next command.

"Ace, Quick Attack!" Kenta barked.

Ace vanished in a blur once again and appeared in front of Poliwrath. Alondra snapped her fingers and Poliwrath erected another green barrier to defend himself from the lightning fast attack. Poliwrath watched Ace closely as he jumped back after hitting the barrier. Once the barrier fell, Kenta did another attack since he was closer.

"Ace, Thunderbolt!" Kenta shouted.

"Protect again, Poliwrath!" Alondra countered back.

Ace sent a bolt of electricity at Poliwrath just as he raised his hands. The green barrier blocked the electric shock and caused it to disperse. Kenta didn't let up and continued his onslaught to hit Poliwrath. All he needed to do was keep attack relentlessly to get a hit on Poliwrath. If he remembered what happened in Tom and Corey's battle a few days ago, then Protect would eventually fail from being used too much. Ace began to pant as he used a lot of his energy to tire out Poliwrath with little effect.

"Ace, use Bite!" Kenta yelled.

"This is getting redundant. Poliwrath, use Protect again!" Alondra sighed.

Poliwrath raised his hands again, but this time the barrier didn't appear. Ace continued his stride to Poliwrath and chomped down on his wrist. Poliwrath flinched in pain and began to flair around to shake Ace off. Alondra blinked in mild surprise when Protect failed and came to the conclusion that Kenta was trying to get her to use the move to eventually have it fail to score a hit. In this case it worked, but it wouldn't be long before Ace was thrown off of Poliwrath.

"Ace, use Thunderbolt!" Kenta hollered.

Ace began to crackle with electricity and released a strong shock, engulfing him and Poliwrath. Poliwrath ceased up and began to tremble in pain as the electricity coursed through his body. He gave on last jerk and managed to throw Ace off of his arm. Ace slid a few feet away and stumbled over his feet, allowing Poliwrath some time to attack.

"Hit him with Brick Break!" Alondra ordered.

Poliwrath jumped to Ace and brought his fist back. His fist crashed into Ace's side and sent him flying across the arena. Ace landed on all fours again but raised his front paw to shake off the numb feeling.

"Let's end it with Hydro Pump!" Alondra yelled.

_"That's what I was hoping you would do, honey."_ Kenta thought, smirking as he looked at the arena.

Poliwrath had been so busy flailing around to shake Ace off that he neglected to notice his surroundings. He was now standing in the large puddle of the Hydro Pump that hit Ace earlier in the match and there were a lot of other puddles surrounding him. Ace stood ready to move again and Poliwrath was preparing to unleash another powerful Hydro Pump. Poliwrath exhaled and the large blast of water came barreling toward Ace.

"Ace, use Thunder!" Kenta barked.

The intense attack shot forward and collided with the Hydro Pump and began to shock Poliwrath. Both attacks continued on and they each collided with their targets. Ace's Thunder appeared to act as a shield from the full force of the Hydro Pump and allowed him to move. Both Pokémon were not letting up in their attacks and Kenta decided to make his final move.

"Ace, advance through the Hydro Pump and keep up the Thunder!" Kenta ordered.

"Don't let up, Poliwrath, you can do it!" Alondra encouraged.

Ace complied with Kenta's command and slowly began to push his way through the monstrous pressure. Poliwrath continued to endure the shocks that Ace was dealing and continued releasing the Hydro Pump he stored up. Ace continued his march through the torrential blast and his Thunder appeared to strengthen with each step he took. Poliwrath fell to his knee and the Hyrdo Pump stopped. He had no more energy to spare to keep the attack going. With his attack done, he could only brace himself against the pain.

Ace was able to walk freely to Poliwrath and kept his attack going. He continued to walk up to Poliwrath and stopped when he was three feet away from him. Ace gave a ferocious cry as his body began to glow a bright yellow. Everybody in the audience shielded their eyes from the blinding light that Ace created. A loud clap of thunder shook the coliseum as Ace released the rest of the stored energy he had.

Ace's attack finally subsided and everybody opened their eyes to see the outcome of the attack. The area around Ace and Poliwrath was scorched and cracked from the powerful lightning that was released. Some sparks of electricity shot up from the field every now and then. Poliwrath was laying spread eagle and Ace was sitting down and keeping a close eye on him should he try to get up. The crowd began to cheer wildly from the display of power that Ace presented them with at the last second. He was definitely a powerful Jolteon without a doubt.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle! The winner is Kenta Hammer of Azalea Town!" The referee announced.

* * *

Ace sprung up and bounded over to Kenta in joy. Kenta held out his arms and caught Ace in midflight. He lost his balance and fell to the ground as Ace began licking his face. Kenta scratched Ace's head and praised his best friend for a job well done.

"That was a heck of a finish, Ace. I've never seen your Thunder attack that strong before!" Kenta commended.

Ace nuzzled Kenta at the admiration hopped off of his lap to allow him to stand up. Kenta knelt beside Ace and scratched him behind his ears.

"We're going to the semifinals buddy! We can win this!" Kenta whispered.

Ace nodded at Kenta's proclamation and followed him to the center of the arena. Alondra had returned Poliwrath to his Pokeball and tucked it away. She shook Kenta's outstretched hand and received a wink from him. Alondra raised a brow in question at the gesture but shrugged it off as she turned around to leave. Kenta returned Ace to his Pokeball and jogged over to the stairs and jumped down them giving a loud whoop of excitement. He hustled over to his friends and was met with congratulating words. Corey ended up locking Kenta's head under his arm and gave him a noogie.

"Nice job, Kenta! Keep it up and you might win this!" Corey said.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Kenta muttered as Corey's knuckles dug into his skull.

**"What did I tell you, Bob? I told you Kenta would win!"** John exclaimed.

**"You were right, John. Kenta certainly handled that very well at the end there. I wasn't sure he would make it after Jolteon got hit with that Hydro Pump."** Bob said.

**"Bob, that strategy was brilliant! He used the field to his advantage by having Poliwrath soak it with water and dealt twice the damage when the water absorbed that Thunder attack!"**

**"Well executed, without a doubt. Now let's move on to our next match."**

**"Aha, Vanessa Blake and Trent Phoenix! This will prove to be a great match, Bob."**

**"You're right, but before we get to that we need to take a quick commercial break. Don't go anywhere folks, we'll be right back with the Nacrene City Battle Tournament here on the Pokémon Battle Network."**

Vanessa was holding two Pokeballs in her hand and she was trying to determine on who to use. From her previous observation of Trent's battle against Corey, she knew she would be in for a tough fight. The Pokémon she had in the balls she was holding were both strong but she wasn't sure who to choose. One would have air supremacy and the other would be on the ground the entire match.

She spared a glance out of the corner of her eye and saw Trent gazing at her. He had an indifferent look on his face but she could see the ferocity in his eyes. Taking another look at the Pokeballs in her hand, she made up her mind. She tucked the ball in her left hand away and spun the other one on her finger. Vanessa would wipe the floor with Trent by using the Pokémon in her hand.

"Corey, I'll be sure to mop the floor with him for you." Vanessa said.

"I'm looking forward to it, Vanessa. Don't underestimate him and be prepared for anything he may throw at you." Corey replied.

"Got it."

Vanessa rolled her shoulders a couple of times and started to make her way over to the stairs. She took a deep breath as she began to develop a possible strategy to use against Trent in order to win. There would be time to come up with a more suitable plan that would have the best efficacy when she saw the Pokémon Trent selected to use for the round. When the music sounded in the stadium again, Vanessa ascended the stairs to begin her second match. She stepped into her area and began to stretch a little bit as she began to empty her mind of all thought.

Trent appeared on his end of the field and his expression didn't change from earlier. Vanessa sent an ice cold glare towards the taller teen and received a shrug in return. She giggled as she remembered Elliott's nickname from him being a "Giant douche." Even though it was highly inappropriate, she couldn't help but laugh. Elliott made a funny and accurate statement and it definitely stuck. Taking a deep breath she regained herself and held her Pokeball out to show she was ready to fight. Trent mimicked her and had his Pokeball pointing straight out.

"Let the battle between Trent Phoenix and Vanessa Blake begin!" The referee announced.

* * *

"Let's go!" Vanessa said.

"Altaria, you're up." Trent said.

Both Pokeballs were thrown into the arena and opened with a loud crack. An Altaria appeared in front of Trent and hovered off of the ground waiting to get eyes on its opponent. The Pokémon that was taking place in front of Vanessa was big and had large wings. Trent immediately took note of this and knew he would be in for an air battle much like Ririkku earlier. The white glow finally faded away to reveal Vanessa's Pokémon and it caused a sweep of cheers. In front of Vanessa was the Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, Salamence. Salamence gave a mighty roar as it was summoned to the field and spotted its opponent.

Vanessa glanced at Trent again and could see that he now looked mildly interested. She guessed it had something to do with the fact of fighting a strong Pokémon and testing his abilities.

"What exactly are you aiming to be, kid?" Trent asked.

"A Dragon Master," Vanessa replied, glaring back at Trent.

"Heh, dreaming big for something you probably won't accomplish."

"Salamence, Dragon Claw!"

Trent was caught off guard by Vanessa's sudden order and could only watch as Salamence shot forth with insane speed with his claws glowing white with power. Salamence raked his claws across Altaria's side earning a cry of pain from the smaller Dragon/Flying-Type. Altaria shook off the pain and took off after Salamence. Trent analyzed the situation before him and knew that Altaria wouldn't be able to match Salamance's speed, but he did have an arsenal of ranged attacks that could hit him.

"Altaria, get close to Salamence and wait for my command!" Trent ordered.

Altaria's wings spread wide and the wind gave him the necessary boost to gain some ground. He was now within range to use one of his long ranged attacks.

"Altaria use Ice Beam!" Trent hollered.

Altaria's mouth opened and a pure white ball of ice started to form in his mouth. Turning his head a little to the right, he aimed just a little bit ahead of Salamence and after storing the power, released the freezing cold beam of ice at him. Salamence glanced back to Altaria only to see a white beam coming directly for him. His wings angled down and he shot towards the ground, but it wasn't fast enough. The ice collided with his wing and back, sending painful chills down his spine. Salamence flapped his wings as he landed back on the arena to free his wing from the ice.

Altaria was flying high above and did a loop before speeding towards Salamence. Vanessa waited to see what Trent would do next and so she could allow Salamence to break the ice that hardened on him.

"Altaria, use Flamethrower!" Trent said.

"Salamence, use Flamethrower too!" Vanessa barked.

Both Salamence and Altaria opened their mouths and fire began to form inside of them. They released their attacks simultaneously and sent them at each other. The streams of fire smashed into each other and began to form a massive ball of fire in between both Pokémon. It was now a fight to overpower the other and have the attack overcome them. Salamence began using as much energy that he could to push the ball of fire back to Altaria and have it backfire on him. The ball of flames began to be pushed back to Altaria and was beginning to grow closer before Trent decided to make a move.

"Altaria, break off and use Dragon Pulse!" Trent ordered.

Altaria stopped the fire attack and the ball of fire came soaring towards him. He spread his wings and flew to the right, avoiding the ball of blistering heat. He opened his mouth again and a grey rotating energy began to form in his mouth. Altaria released the spiraling energy at Salamence who had just broken free of the ice that had formed on his wing.

"Salamence, dodge the attack and use Thunder!" Vanessa shouted.

Salamence spread his wings and flew straight up, narrowly avoiding the Dragon Pulse. The attack crashed into the arena floor and made a massive crater. Salamence dashed at Altaria and was upon him instantly. He began to glow yellow with power and gave a ferocious cry as he released a terrifying burst of electricity. The attack made contact with Altaria and gained a cry of agony from him.

Altaria turned to face Salamence and opened his mouth again, this time a blue and orange flame began to grow inside. The attack shot out of Altaria's mouth and smashed into Salamence's chest. The Dragonbreath managed to land a direct hit on Salamence and forced him to fly out of reach once again.

"Salamence, use Flamethrower!" Vanessa barked.

Salamence opened his mouth and a blazing stream of fire went soaring towards Altaria. Altaria had more than enough time to dodge with the gap between the two of them. He swerved out of the way and opened his mouth to fire his own Flamethrower back at Salamence. Another stream of fire went flying at Salamence and Vanessa decided to do something new.

"Salamence, use Hydro Pump!" Vanessa yelled.

Salamence took a deep breath and fired a large continuous blast of water at Altaria's Flamethrower. The attacks collided and made a loud hiss as the fire was being extinguished by the powerful surge of water. The Hydro Pump dispelled the Flamethrower and smashed into Altaria sending him into the ground from the devastating hit. Altaria stood up slowly and shook off the excess water after regaining himself from the powerful blast. He glared up at Salamence and took off after him once again, intent on causing as much harm as possible.

"Ice Beam!" Trent ordered.

Altaria released another white beam of freezing ice at Salamence. Salamence couldn't see the attack since it was coming from directly behind him. Turning his head, he managed to catch a glimpse of Altaria and that's when he saw the Ice Beam just upon him. Salamence turned around and opened his mouth, releasing a scorching Flamethrower attack back at the Ice Beam. The ice melted on impact and the Flamethrower continued back to Altaria. Altaria dodged but was then in the path of Salamence as he charged for him.

"Dragon Claw!" Vanessa bellowed.

Salamence's claws began to glow white with power as he brought them back to make contact. Giving a ferocious slash, his claws raked across Altaria's side and wing. Altaira winced in pain from the brutal slash, but he fought through the pain and quickly wheeled around and opened his mouth again. Salamence was still within range and wouldn't have enough time to dodge the attack. Another Ice Beam flew out of Altaria's mouth and soared towards Salamence. This time, the aim was true.

The freezing beam of ice smashed into the square of Salamence's back. Salamence's eyes widened in pain and shock from the subzero temperature. His wings began to flap wildly as he tried to break free from the cold, but to no avail. Salamence fell to the stadium floor again and hit it with a loud crash. The crash shook the entire arena and kicked up a massive cloud of dust.

Vanessa's fists clenched after she witnessed the attack. She knew that Salamence was strong, but when it came to getting hit by Ice-Type moves, it was like a knife going through butter. Salamence would not be able to take any more Ice Beams after being hit by a couple of them already. Shaking her head free from all negative thought, she returned her focus to the match in front of her.

"You know for a Dragon Master, you really are pathetic." Trent said.

"What was that?" Vanessa asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Think really hard with what you're about to say next, Trent."

"I call it as I see it. You're Salamence has to be one of the weakest ones I've seen. Not even three Ice Beam attacks and it's already about to faint."

"Salamence, Flamethrower!"

"Altaria, Dragon Pulse."

Salamence looked up at Altaria and sprayed another searing Flamethrower at him. Altaria had enough to build up power in his mouth and opened it to reveal the rotating grey energy. He unleashed the attack and it went straight towards the Flamethrower. Both attacks met midair and exploded on impact from the sheer power. However, Altaria's Dragon Pulse won out and continued through the smoke towards Salamence. Vanessa snapped her fingers just in time and made Salamence jump to the side, barely avoiding the turbulent attack.

"Salamence, use Thunder!" Vanessa shouted.

Salamence began to glow a bright yellow as electricity began to flow through his body. He gave a loud roar and electricity shot out from his body. The vicious bolt of electricity hid Altaria right in the chest earning a cry of pain from him. Altaria began to flap his wings to push himself free from the cruel attack. As he tried to get a way, his body seized up and he began a rapid descent to the battlefield.

Just like what happened to Salamence earlier, Altaria hit the arena floor with a hard crash. He cautiously pushed himself back up and a couple of electric chains appeared around his body. The paralysis left Altaria wide open for punishment and Vanessa was eager to make Trent eat his words for insulting Salamence. A daunting look formed on Vanessa's face as she pointed at the downed Altaria.

"Juice him with Flamethrower and pour whatever power you have left into it!" Vanessa hissed.

Salamence gave a nod of acknowledgement and opened his mouth. A bright orange and red flame began to form inside his mouth. Obeying his master's order, Salamence started to pump all the energy he had into the Flamethrower. His eyes went from their usual onyx black to ones of pure red rage. The scorching fire that built up in Salamence's mouth had reached a new sweltering level of heat.

Aiming right for Altaria, Salamence let loose the blazing fire attack. The speed of the Flamethrower had risen greatly from its previous uses and was practically upon Altaria as soon as Salamence released it. The attack collided with Altaria and engulfed him into a blazing inferno of blistering heat. Vanessa looked on as Salamence continued the harsh attack. She could see Trent and almost grinned at the look on his face. Trent's face was one of disbelief and fear. He must not have seen a Flamethrower of that magnitude before and it froze him in his place.

"You're awfully quiet over there, Trent!" Vanessa stated. "What was that you were saying earlier about my Salamence being weak?"

Trent didn't respond to Vanessa's words as he waited for the attack to die down. After what seemed like an eternity, the firestorm that surrounded Altaria subsided. All that was visible was a thick black cloud of smoke and small flames that burned brightly surrounding it. Silence filled the arena as everybody waited for some form of movement in the smoke. Some claps began to fill the stadium as the cheers began to come. Trent's fists clenched with anger as he glared at the cloud. He couldn't be defeated. There was no way he was going to lose here.

"Altaria, Ice Beam!" Trent roared.

As soon as those words left Trent's mouth, a blue and white beam of ice shot out from the smoke. The sudden attack caught everyone off guard as the stadium came to a hush. The Ice Beam hit Salamence on his underbelly and ice began to build around him. Salamence howled in pain and anger from the intense cold. Vanessa's triumphant look was replaced with shock and confusion. Trent smirked as he felt his anger vanish when he saw the attack shoot out from the smoke. The Ice Beam stopped and Salamence fell to the floor with ice coating his entire stomach. The smoke that surrounded Altaria was blown away when his wings spread.

Altaria looked badly burned from the attack. His body was covered in soot and he looked as though he was on his last legs. Everyone in the crowd was bewildered at how Altaria was still able to fight after that fierce Flamethrower had burnt him to a crisp. The referee looked at Salamence for any sign of movement. When Salamence didn't make any attempt to stand, he gave a nod.

"Salamence is unable to battle! The winner is Trent Phoenix of Snowpoint City!" The referee declared.

* * *

The crowd gave a mixed response at the ruling on the field. There were jeers and cheers aimed at Trent. He returned Altaria to his Pokeball and looked back to Vanessa. Vanessa was on her knees gently stroking Salamence's head, muttering some sort of praise. Trent shook his head and crossed his arms as he looked at the scene before him. Vanessa recalled Salamence into his Pokeball and buckled it to her side.

"That's why you'll never be a great Dragon Master." Trent said.

"Like I give a crap about your opinion!" Vanessa shot back.

"Your Salamence is weak, kid. You're nurturing it too much. You need to be more strict and tough with it if you want it to be truly strong. Otherwise it's just a waste of a Pokémon at this time."

"You son of a-!" Vanessa began, as she started to walk over to him.

She found herself being held back as she tried to advance towards Trent to give him a piece of her mind. Glancing behind her, Vanessa could see Tom and Kenta holding her back from making a foolish move.

"Let me go!" Vanessa hissed.

"Vanessa, let it go," Kenta urged, holding her arm. "He's not worth the energy. Everyone here saw what happened and know that it shouldn't have ended the way it did."

"Kenta's right, Vanessa. He won by dumb luck." Tom said.

"Be sure to keep her under control." Trent said.

Tom sent a sharp glare towards Trent. He really did not like this guy. Since he met him he's been nothing but condescending and it infuriated him. Kenta ushered Vanessa off of the field while Tom stayed on and continued glaring at Trent. Trent noticed the glare and sent one in return.

"You got something to say to me?" Trent asked.

Tom said nothing. He raised his hand and pointed a lone finger at Trent.

"When we fight, I'm going to kick your ass. Count on it!" Tom sneered with venom dripping from his words.

When he said what he wanted to say, Tom turned on his heel and descended the stairs to allow the maintenance crew to fix up the field. He made his way over to his friends and took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. His next match was coming up and he had to win. This tournament wasn't done until he fought Trent and took him down and he would take great pleasure in doing it. He looked at Vanessa who was being given pats by the gang. She looked absolutely livid and no one could blame her. It wasn't enough to lose on a fluke but for Trent to go and insult her training methods and Pokémon was crossing the line.

"Freaking prick!" Vanessa spat.

"How does that work? There's no way that jerk should've won!" Elliott shouted.

"Well, he did, sadly," Corey said with a sigh. "Question is who will take him down?"

"Well there's still me, Kenta and Elliott," Hayley said, crossing her arms. "If Tom wins his match here then it'll be one of us four to do it."

"Sounds like a plan." Kenta nodded.

Tom tuned out the conversation and fiddled with the two Pokeballs that contained the two other Pokémon he entered. He thought about entering Sparks but he had been fighting since they got here on day one and decided to give him a break. Making up his mind, his hand closed tightly around the Pokémon he chose. Sparks jumped on his shoulder and had an eager look on his face.

"Are you saying you want to battle?" Tom asked.

"Chu!" Sparks nodded.

"I admire the enthusiasm buddy, but I didn't register you for the tournament. I figured you could use a break."

Sparks' ears drooped in disappointment as he heard that comment. He wanted to fight in the tournament.

"But that doesn't mean you can't be up there with me." Tom grinned.

"Chu!" Sparks grinned back.

Music boomed around the stadium once again, garnering cheers from the massive audience. Tom began walking to the stairs to head up to the field. He could hear his friends wishing him luck and gave a two fingered salute in response. He began rolling the Pokeball between his fingers as he waited for the referee to start the match.

**"Welcome back to the Nacrene City Battle Tournament here on the Pokémon Battle Network."** Bob greeted.

**"Talk about a head scratcher, eh, Bob?"** John asked, replaying the footage from the end of Vanessa's and Trent's battle.

**"Yeah, I don't know how that happened. I'm not being biased here, but Trent should not have won that fight. I just don't understand how his Altaria managed to endure all that damage from a Pseudo-Legendary."**

**"I think it's safe to say this will be on the top ten countdown of "What the Hecks?" tonight."**

**"Most definitely."**

**"Well, let's get down to the field to our final match of round two! Tom Sandbourne vs Nova Colvin."**

Sparks hopped off of Tom's shoulder and stood on his left. Tom began tossing the now normal sized Pokeball up and down as he waited for Nova to take the stage. Nova finally came up the stairs. Nova was an average sized boy. He had dark skin, purple eyes and long brown hair that was tied into a ponytail. He was garbed in black cargo pants, black leather gloves, an unzipped black jacket, red t-shirt and red tennis shoes. Nova appeared to be a fairly confident kid upon observation. He pulled out a Pokeball and prepared to release it for battle.

The referee looked at Tom and then at Nova to make sure they were ready. When he confirmed they were, he stood up and cleared his throat.

"Let the battle between Tom Sandbourne and Nova Colvin begin!" The referee said.

* * *

"Zorua, come on out!" Nova said, throwing his Pokeball to the center.

"Snivy, let's rock!" Tom said, throwing his Pokeball out.

The Pokeballs opened with two cracks and two white glows appeared in the center. Two Pokémon materialized in front of the trainers. One was a green snakelike Pokémon and the other took on the form of a small black fox. Tom looked at the new Pokémon with curiosity and pulled out his Pokedex to identify it.

_**"Zorua, the tricky fox Pokémon. It changes into the forms of others to surprise them. Apparently, it often transforms into a silent child. They always protect themselves by hiding under a fake visage."**_ Dexter informed.

_"Huh, a joker Pokémon?"_ Tom thought, eyeing the Zorua. _"Well let's just see what this thing can do."_

"Snivy, use Vine Whip!"

Snivy shot forth with great speed and a large thick vine extended from its upper back. Snivy brought back the thick tendril and gave a hard swing. The vine whistled towards Zorua who hadn't even attempted to move.

"Zorua, use Substitute!" Nova ordered.

Zorua began to glow blue for a moment before jumping back. When Zorua leapt away, a clear copy of Zorua was in the spot Zorua was at previously. The vine crashed into the decoy and it fell to the ground before vanishing. Snivy looked a little perplexed at missing the target and turned to look at the real Zorua who was cackling.

"Shadow Ball!" Nova barked.

Zorua's tilted his head up a little bit and a dark purple ball of malevolent energy began to form. He released the ball and it soared towards Snivy with quick speed. Snivy watched the ball closely and waited for the right moment.

"Snivy, dodge it and use Leaf Tornado!" Tom yelled.

Snivy ran at the Shadow Ball and swerved to the right at the last second, barely avoiding it. She then jumped upside down and began spinning rapidly, swishing her tail in the process. A dark green vortex came into existence and went straight for Zorua. Zorua tried to dodge the attack but was sucked into the raging cyclone. After being spun around for a brief period of time, Snivy slammed her tail on the ground with the tornado mimicking her movement. The tornado hit the ground sideways, giving Zorua a violent body slam in the process. Snivy stood upright and had a smug look spread across her face.

Zorua growled and stood up in a daze. The attack wasn't as painful as things he experience in the past, but it still hurt. He glanced back at Nova and received a nod in confirmation. Zorua cackled again and prepared to catch Snivy off guard. He turned back to Snivy and a look of hurt appeared on his face. Tears began to trickle from his eyes and he began to whine. This in turn made Tom and Snivy drop their guards for a second.

_"Is that Zorua being serious right now or is it just screwing with us?"_ Tom wondered.

Snivy cocked her head in curiosity and her smug look vanished. She looked more concerned now and began to slowly walk over to Zorua to see if he was okay. Her motherly instinct took over and she wanted to be sure that Zorua wasn't hurt too badly. While she was doing this, Tom was growing uneasy. He decided to let Snivy check into the situation and let her handle it if things got rough. Her speed should be able to outmaneuver Zorua should he try something. Snivy was now standing in front of Zorua and reached her arm out to comfort him, but that's when things changed.

"Zorua, use Bite!" Nova said.

Quick as a flash, Zorua pounced on Snivy and sunk his sharp teeth into her. Snivy was in shock from the attack and a look of pain and anger formed on her face. Tom had witnessed the trick and clenched his fists.

_"Oh you dirty mother…"_ Tom cursed. "Snivy, use Leech Seed!"

Snivy fought through the pain and the yellow curved leaves on her back began to tremble. Multiple brown saplings flew out of the leaves and landed all over Zorua. Zorua let go of Snivy and began to scratch himself to get the particles off. He gave a frustrated growl as he had little success in doing so. Snivy slithered away and her smug look returned once again as she smirked at Zorua. Zorua stopped for a minute as began to tremble. Green balls of light began to form around him before they hovered over to Snivy. The green balls vanished upon reaching her and the wound on her back disappeared.

"Zorua, Shadow Ball!" Nova barked.

Zorua moved a tad faster than before and summoned another Shadow Ball. He launched the attack at Snivy with more speed. Snivy was unable to move fast enough to dodge and took the full hit of the attack. The attack was strong enough to send Snivy airborne, but that didn't stop her from recuperating. She flipped in the air and landed back on the field near Zorua. Zorua charged up another Shadow Ball and sent it towards Snivy who was more than prepared for it this time.

"Snivy, use Vine Whip on the Shadow Ball!" Tom ordered.

Snivy's vines extended and gave a hard swing. There was a crack as the vine hit the Shadow Ball and resembling the sound of a baseball being hit out of the park. The Shadow Ball was sent flying back towards Zorua who jumped to the side, avoiding the attack. He gave a shudder as more green balls of light formed around him and went back over to Snivy. The damage that Snivy had been dealt was now fading away just like before.

"Zorua, use Bite!" Nova shouted.

Zorua lunged at Snivy who sidestepped the attack. He spun around and jumped at Snivy, pinning her to the ground and sank his teeth into her back again. Snivy flinched from the attack and gave Zorua another chance to inflict damage.

"Shadow Ball!" Nova cried.

Snivy glanced out of the corner of her eye and could see the nasty attack taking shape again. She began to struggle to worm her way out from Zorua's paws but it was no use. Zorua looked down and fired the Shadow Ball at point blank range. There was a loud boom as the attack detonated from the close proximity, obscuring the view of Zorua and Snivy. Zorua leapt out of the smoke with a satisfied smirk from scoring a few hits on Snivy. The smoke dissipated and Snivy was shown getting to her feet once again. She was very resilient and wasn't going to let Zorua take her down that easily.

"Vine Whip!" Tom hollered.

Snivy's vine shot forth and went to deal a crushing blow on Zorua, but Nova had other plans.

"Substitute!" Nova countered back.

Zorua began to glow a dark blue once again before jumping away at the last second. Snivy's vine smashed into the decoy, ensuring Zorua's flawless execution of escaping harm. Snivy gave a menacing growl as she dashed towards Zorua to land a hit on the cunning Pokémon. As she neared him, she dodged another Shadow Ball that was sent her way and prepared to attack.

"Snivy, use Leaf Tornado!" Tom barked.

Snivy flipped upside down once again and began to spin wildly. Her tail kicked up a green vortex and she swung it towards Zorua. The twister sucked up Zorua and the vortex turned into a bunch of razor sharp leave, cutting him as he was swirled around inside. She slammed her tail down and the tornado went crashing into the arena floor once again. Zorua hit the ground hard and gave a cry of pain. Snivy flipped up onto her feet and sent a sharp glare towards Zorua. More green balls of light began to form around Zorua once again as his energy was being sucked from him.

"Zorua, Shadow Ball!" Nova shouted.

Zorua bolted upright and conjured another ball of wicked energy. The ball shot at Snivy and smashed into her, sending her bouncing across the arena. The green balls of light hovered over to Snivy and absorbed into her. Zorua crept over to Snivy to see if she was still trying to move. He towered over Snivy and waited for her to move.

"Snivy, hold on to Zorua with Vine Whip!" Tom yelled.

Snivy's eyes snapped open and a thick vine wrapped around Zorua's midsection and held him in the air. Zorua started to struggle and glared down at Snivy who appeared to be smirking back at him. Snivy managed to pull off the old monkey see monkey do act. She now had Zorua right where she wanted him.

"Snivy, use Attract." Tom said.

Snivy gave a wink and multiple hearts began to swirl around Zorua who had no way of dodging it. The hearts vanished and Zorua stopped struggling. He looked at Snivy and had a distant look in his eyes. Snivy set Zorua down and he continued to stare at her, immobilized with infatuation.

"Zorua, snap out of it!" Nova hollered.

"Vine Whip!" Tom barked.

Snivy's vine came swinging at Zorua with full force and smashed right across his face. Zorua was sent back towards Nova and hit the ground with a hard thud. He stood up gingerly and continued to have a glazed look in his eyes. The green balls of light appeared around Zorua and went over to Snivy who absorbed them again. Zorua's head drooped and he swayed a little bit as he felt his energy being drained. Not being able to resist any longer, he fell to the ground out cold with a light thump. Snivy rested her hands on her hips and gave a satisfied nod, the smirk never leaving her face.

"Zorua is unable to battle! The winner is Tom Sandbourne of Viridian City!" The referee announced.

* * *

The stadium erupted into cheers at the great battle. Tom grinned and gave a nod as he squatted down by Sparks. He received a high five from his partner and Snivy came over to join in. She gave Tom a hard slap on the back from excitement, unintentionally whipping him. Tom's face scrunched up in pain from the hit as he grimaced at Snivy.

"Great job, Snivy. Not bad at all for your first battle," Tom praised, rubbing her head.

Snivy beamed brightly as Tom returned her to her Pokeball. Sparks hopped up onto Tom's shoulders with a huge grin spread across his face. Tom walked to the center of the arena to shake Nova's hand for the good battle. Nova recalled Zorua back to his Pokeball and gave him some praise for a good fight. He tucked the Pokeball away and walked to the center of the arena to shake Tom's hand. Both of them gave a strong handshake and a grin.

"Good battle, Nova." Tom said.

"Thanks, you weren't too shabby either." Nova replied.

"Hey, why don't you stick around after the tournament is done? I want to ask you something."

"Sure. I was planning on staying to see if someone would take out that Trent kid."

Tom nodded and the two of them left the arena to see who had the next round. The Pokémon Battle Network went to commercial once again as Bob and John went on with their commentary about the round and how the battles were just as good as the first round. Tom walked over to his friends and received congratulatory words from them.

"You had me worried there, Sandman. I thought Snivy was down when she was just lying there." Eric said.

"Stoner, give me some credit, I've got the mental agility of a freaking Alakazam." Tom replied.

"True. So how do you think this might turn out for the next round?"

"We'll have to wait and see won't we?"

Eric shrugged and gave Tom a fist bump with Corey doing the same. Tom pulled out his notebook of names as he decided to give it an update. The names he had scribbled down were Corey Spina, Vanessa Blake and Indigo Galaxia. He pulled out his pen and began jotting down some more names. Tom pocketed his pen after writing down some additional names to the book. Raven Castiel, Eric Stone, Itzal Fuji, Alondra Hanson and Nova Colvin were the fresh names added to the list. Eric glanced over Tom's shoulder and wrapped an arm around his neck.

"You know if you wanted my phone number all you had to do was ask, baby. My number is 608…" Eric said.

"Shut-up!" Tom laughed, elbowing Eric in the stomach.

"So what's with the list?"

"My old man wanted me to collect a list of competent trainers because he says PCTU needs help with catching some criminals."

"Oh, okay. He actually contacted me about that too."

"Really? Is that why you're in the tournament right now?"

"Yeah, and to kill time since the gym leader isn't in town today."

"What would you recommend?"

"Honestly, I would say just take anyone who showed promise during their matches. Your old man is obviously going to go through a selection phase by testing them in a battle before he makes the final call on who's in and what not."

"Good point."

Music sounded around the stadium again, ending the commercial break. The remaining trainers in the tournament turned to look at the large screen overlooking the stadium to see the matchups. One by one, the final competitors appeared on the screen. Tom, Eric, Elliott, Kenta, Hayley and Trent were the final participants that were revealed earning multiple cheers from the crowd.

**"And we're back for another round of matches here at the Nacrene City Battle Tournament."** John said.

**"Right you are, Bob. Now let's take a look at the board to see the semifinal round."** Bob said.

**"The screen will automatically choose two contestants to participate in the final round and the other four will have to fight for their slot. So let's scramble it up to see who our lucky participants are that get to sit out a round and watch."**

The screen began scrolling through the pictures of the remaining trainers at a blinding speed. The first picture that was selected was Hayley and the second picture was Kenta. The two of them got a guaranteed position in the semifinals, leaving Tom, Eric, Elliott and Trent to battle for the open slots.

**"And we have our choices. Hayley White and Kenta Hammer will be in the semifinals and will be battling the winners of the upcoming battles here."** Bob said.

**"I bet they're feeling pretty good right now, Bob. Now let's see who'll be fighting who in the next round."** John replied.

The pictures turned over and began to be shuffled around. Elliott, Eric, Tom and Trent all held their breaths with anticipation on who they would end up fighting. The pictures came to a stop and flipped over earning loud cheers from the audience.

**"And here's the matchup for round three!"** John boomed.

* * *

**Aw what's this? Cliffhanger again? Well... shit. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and that you weren't bored with the redundancy and battles left and right. Well, next chapter we'll see who is fighting who, but feel free to come up with your assumptions on who may be facing who. Like I said guys, I hope you'll be kind enough to drop a review for the hard work I put into this chapter because it took a toll on me when I am already dealing with Bronchitis. Below here I've got some announcements and the story shout out section. Till next time guys. Peace!-CaptainPrice**

**Battle Record: W:L:D (Wins/Losses/Draws)**

**Tom: 5:1:1**

**Corey: 2:1:1**

**Kenta: 4:1:0**

**Elliott: 2:2:0**

**Vanessa: 3:1:0**

**Announcements:**

**1.) Character popularity poll. I've set up a poll for the characters of the story here to see who's ranked what for favorite character and what not. I already have a feeling of how this will turn out, but I'll leave the poll up for a chapter or so to see how people view it.**

**Story Shoutouts:**

**"Unova Eclipse: Bringer of Change" by bluemagesfairytail**

**Fey didn't want this to happen. Not again. Now they're seventeen, and brought together again. But this time, instead of Galactic, Plasma lurks, and a traitor surfaces. New faces, new chances, new possibilities. But it's hard to believe one of them has the intent to sabotage them all.**

**"Pokemon: Children of Arceus" by OwenG2107:**

**Nate, Rosa and their friends find themselves travelling together on a journey through the Unova region. The year is 2036 and Hilda and N are proud and happy to say that their kids are travellign on a journey through the tough routes and often scary cities. They are looking forward to meeting new friends and even enemies. **

**"From Darkness Comes Light" by PhatomStorm and DrummerGirl:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **

******"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: **

******This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well. Recently updated on 12/8/12**

**"Countermeasures and Retaliation" by Barrett M107: Definitely check this story out.**

**Pokemon gangs are on the rise in Unova and more rookie trainers are joining them out of fear. The police and gym leaders can only do so much. However, one professor has been tracking each of the gangs movements and has decided enough is enough. He gathers a group of some of the strongest trainers of the generation around to fight back. Little do they know though that something more powerful is on the rise.**


	18. Nacrene City Battle Tournament Part 4

**What's going on everybody? Captain here with another update for Rise to the Challenge as the final update for the 2012 year. I hope you enjoy this long chapter since I took some suggestions from reviewers to take a brief break from the tournament to have the OCs do some humor and what not before continuing the fights so that's what's in the chapter. Stay tuned for the end for announcements and don't forget about the character popularity poll that's on my profile page. Now let's get to the chapter!**

**Warning: There is some swearing in this chapter but nothing over the top.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I own the OCs (Tom, Sparks, Sully, Eric, Roy, Alice, Langdon, Pierce, Clint), this story, and the idea of the story.**

**Chapter Summary: While the Nacrene City Battle Tournment prepares for the fourth round, our gang goes out to eat lunch and take a break from all the battling. While doing so, they have a couple interesting conversations a memories. Tom and Trent have a brief encounter and the heat of their rivalry is shown.**

**Song Suggestion (Play during Tom and Trent's battle): Charm City Devils: Unstoppable **

**Bold- Message Bulletins/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/ Xtransreceiver Conversations_**

* * *

The crowd gave a roar of applause once the names stopped scrolling and came to a stop for the round's matchup.

**"And here are the matchups for round three!"** John boomed. **"First up are Eric Stone and Elliott Kane followed by Tom Sandbourne and Trent Phoenix!"**

**"Definitely a good matchup, John! This round will no doubt have fierce battles!"** Bob agreed.

**"But before we get to those battles, we'll be taking a two hour intermission to allow the maintenance crew to repair the battlefield and to allow our contestants to take a break."**

**"Sounds good to me, John. Don't go anywhere folks we'll be back after two hours. We'll switch you over to the studio to check in on the other battle tournaments taking place. You're listening to the Nacrene City Battle Tournament on the Pokémon Battle Network."**

With the announcement delivered, fans began to get up from their seats to exit the stadium to stretch and eat. This also provided Tom and his friends time to relax as well as get ready for the next round. He got his wish and was going to battle Trent for his round and he was eager to show him that he was not all that. He was so absorbed in his thoughts to take Trent down he failed to hear Eric and Corey saying his name.

"Hey, Sandman! We're going to get some grub, so let's go!" Eric said.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry!" Tom replied.

The group departed the stadium and continued to make their way to the downtown area to eat. All of them were conversing about the battles that they had witnessed and were pumped up for the next round. Elliott kept sneaking glances at Eric as she determined what to do for her battle against him. She had seen his battle with Raven and was a little concerned with what his team consisted of. She clutched Shade a little tighter as she cleared her head of any negative thoughts.

"I can do this. Eric may be strong, but we can beat him!" Elliott whispered to Shade.

Shade gave a nod in agreement with Elliott's words. He would do everything in his power to win for Elliott and allow her to advance to the semifinals. While Elliott and Shade were thinking about the upcoming battle, everyone else was discussing other matters. Corey and Eric were talking about the leagues they participated in during their travels. Kenta was talking with Vanessa about her fight and trying to cheer her up after the result. Hayley was checking some messages on her Xtransreceiver to see if anything came up. Eri was walking beside Tom to attempt striking up a conversation.

"So, Tom, you must be feeling pretty good about making it far in the tournament." Eri said.

Tom didn't respond to Eri's statement. Eri blinked and attempted to try saying something else.

"I got the jerky for the road. Did you want it now or did you want me to hold on to it for you?" Eri asked.

Again, no response. Eri was trying to talk to her friend but it seemed as if he was preoccupied with other matters. Sparks had noticed her trying to get Tom's attention but she was failing miserably. He knew Tom was too focused on his upcoming battle with Trent and his anger towards the teen was making him drown out his surroundings. Eri decided to get creative and did the next bold thing she could think of. She held Pino in one arm and used her free hand to hold Tom's. The sudden contact made Tom freeze and glance at whoever was holding his hand. He was a little confused with the gesture and could see Eri's concern.

"I'm sorry, Eri. Did you say something?" Tom asked.

"I was just trying to talk with you to pass the time but you seemed to be distracted." Eri replied.

"I'm sorry, Eri. I'm just thinking about my battle with Trent."

"Yeah, I figured you were. Why don't you stop doing that long enough to get something to eat?"

"Sounds good to me. Thanks, Eri."

Tom let go of Eri's hand and ruffled her hair before walking up to Eric and Corey. Eri's face was just as red as her hair from the unexpected contact. Pino had seen the whole exchange and was glaring holes into the back of Tom's head but stopped when Sparks locked eyes with him and gave him a look that could freeze hell over. Pino shrunk into Eri's grip and looked away from Sparks.

"Hey guys, why don't we stop and eat here for lunch?" Eric suggested, pointing at a burger joint.

"You read my mind, Stoner!" Tom said, clapping Eric on the back.

"Sounds great, I haven't had a good hamburger in a while!" Hayley agreed.

* * *

The group walked inside the restaurant to settle and eat. While Tom walked over to the greeter to inform him of the group size, Corey and Eric led the group over to a couple of tables. Eric and Corey had the gang put the tables together to make one large table so they could all sit together. All the boys sat on one side while the girls sat on the other. They were glad that they got there quick since the eatery became very crowded shortly after they entered. As they waited for their orders to come, the group shared stories about their past.

"So, Eric, what did you and Tom do in Viridian County to occupy yourselves?" Corey asked.

"We mainly played baseball with our friends from KNAMA and went to the lake to go cliff diving or Gyarados wrangling." Eric replied.

Everyone turned to look at Eric and Tom when they heard the Gyarados wrangling bit.

"Uh, you did what?" Elliott asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Gyarados wrangling," Eric said again. "It's when you dive down under the water and grab onto the spikes on top of a Gyarados's head and pull on them. The Gyarados would surface and then you have to hang on as long as you can before it bucks you off."

"That sounds dangerous." Vanessa added.

"I've actually got a photo of Tom doing it, which happened to be the last time since he got pretty messed up."

Eric reached into his wallet and pulled out a worn photo and placed it in the middle of the table. The others stood up and swarmed around it to get a look. Sure enough, the photo had a Gyarados in it and on top of the head holding onto the spikes was Tom. The group looked up and glanced at Eric and Tom. Eri had a hand over her mouth at the reckless stunt that was depicted in the photo.

"I'm sorry, but I have to say this. You two are jackasses." Eri said.

"Yeah, we get that a lot." Tom laughed.

"Wait, hold on a second. You said that was the last time Tom did that. What happened?" Hayley asked.

"Well Sandman doesn't remember much because he got knocked out," Eric said, glancing at Tom who was pinching the bridge of his nose in embarrassment. "Tom was trying to beat the highest time of the day which happened to be thirty seconds. The Gyarados jumped out of the water after thrashing around for a bit and Tom lost his grip. He fell into the shallow water and he must've smoked his head on the impact."

"What did his parents say?" Kenta asked.

"Let's see," Tom said, counting off his fingers. "Gave my mom a heart attack, pissed off my dad, almost died, went to the hospital for stitches and a CAT Scan, and managed to break a hospital bill record of five hundred dollars."

"You two are flat out insane, you know that?" Elliott asked, shaking her head.

"Well you know what? You have to improvise and come up with your own fun if you live in the country like we did and that just happened to be one of the many fun, yet stupid things to do."

Corey was too busy laughing at hearing the story of Tom's epic failure to say anything. He took off his sunglasses and wiped the tears that were trickling down his face. Kenta was doing no better as he clutched his stomach. Tom had a smirk on his face as he reminisced about the infamous event.

"I'm assuming that gave you a concussion?" Vanessa asked, smirking at Tom.

"Yup, four days of a throbbing head and intense dizziness." Tom nodded.

"Oh my God," Corey said through his laughs. "That's the funniest thing I've heard all day."

"I'm sure it is." Eric smirked.

"Although you're lucky you have a bunch of things you can do. I'm from Snowpoint City and it's always snowing and cold. I can only do winter things like hockey, ice fishing, snowboarding."

"Oh you're a sports guy too?"

"Yup, hockey is the best sport around."

Eric and Tom narrowed their eyes and looked at Corey in disbelief. Corey noticed the stares and cocked his head in confusion. He must have said something that they didn't like.

"What?" Corey asked looking at the two of them.

"I'm sorry, but what did you just say?" Eric asked crossing his arms. "I think you just said hockey is the best sport."

"I did. Is there a problem?"

"Oh no, I mean baseball is just the pastime sport so it just seems illogical to say hockey's the best."

"Because it is."

"No, Corey, baseball is the best." Tom interjected.

"You too, eh? I say hockey."

"I respect your opinion Corey, but I have to disagree. Baseball is the best."

The three boys continued their bickering about the better of the two sports. The group just looked on in amusement as the argument went back and forth between the three of them. Elliott was slowly losing her patience and was doing everything in her power not to clobber the three in front of her. She began to take a couple of deep breaths in order to diffuse the anger building inside of her.

"Hockey's the best! You can go fast by skating on ice and you can do full on tackling in the sport and not get fouled! You also hit a puck and send it into a goal!" Corey shouted.

"Football is just as good when it comes to tackling, bro. And baseball is better. What's not to enjoy about it? You hold a wooden bat and can enjoy the sound of a loud crack when you hit the ball hundreds of yards away!" Eric countered back.

"Let's see, you can't fight a person without getting ejected from the game entirely whereas hockey you can get into a fight and be put in timeout for a couple minutes and go out and do it again! And baseball takes too long! Nine innings? Come on, I've got better things to do than sit down for a couple of hours and watch a game that takes forever to score in go on!"

"Hockey's no different! It takes forever to score in that game too, Corey! Besides it takes forever in those games too because they have to keep resetting the game by dropping the puck!"

"Oh like running around bases waiting to get tagged out or having your ball caught when you hit it is so much better!"

"It is better, damn-it!" Tom barked.

As the argument continued, other customers started looking at the group in curiosity. The attention was beginning to make the girls smile back at the customers with some embarrassment. While Tom, Eric and Corey continued their fight about which sport was better, Eri turned to look at Hayley, Elliott and Vanessa.

"Do you three have any idea what they're talking about? I don't really watch sports. My brother Mike did and he always tried to get me to watch but it just never interested me." Eri said.

She was met with shrugs and a shake of the head from her friends.

"It all started about hockey and baseball then it really got confusing from goalie and then I was completely lost at the bit with the bullpen." Elliott said. "I didn't know of a sport that used Bouffalont or Tauros apart from rodeos."

"Wait, you have a brother?" Vanessa asked Eri.

"Yeah, my older brother Mike. He's been a trainer for four years."

"Has he won any leagues?"

"No, but he's competed in most of them. He's back at home now helping my grandparents at their ranch. They raise and breed Pokémon there."

"Ah, so that's where your dream to become a breeder came from?" Hayley said.

Eri beamed and gave a nod. They returned their focus to the fight between Corey, Tom and Eric. All three of them were sporting red faces from their arguing and their voices were growing hoarse from all the yelling.

"The closing pitcher, Corey! He's the hero of the game because it's up to him to deal the last three strikeouts when his team is ahead! He's got a lot of pressure and he just looks more badass when he pulls it off!" Tom yelled.

"Same can be said in hockey with the goalie blocking the final shot or someone scoring the final shot breaking the tie at the last second! Just face it Tom, hockey's better!" Corey retorted.

"Baseball!" Tom and Eric shot back.

"Hockey!"

"Baseball!"

"Hockey!"

By this point, Elliott had enough. She couldn't take the talk of sports any longer and her patience had reached its limit. She cracked her knuckles and stood up to walk around the table. Tom, Eric and Corey were still absorbed in their conversation that they didn't realize Elliott's intentions of pummeling them. Elliott got directly behind the three babbling boys and brought her fists back.

"Shut the hell up!" Elliott hollered.

Whack! Wham! Thump! One hard punch connected with each of the boys. Corey was slugged on his left cheek, Eric was hit punched in the back of the head sending him into the table and Tom was punched on his right cheek, sending him to the floor. Kenta gave a sigh of relief that it wasn't him at the end of the short tempered girl's wrath this time. Those punches of hers looked a lot harder than normal. Elliott gave a satisfied grin and waltzed back over to her seat and sat down. Tom, Eric and Corey all managed to recuperate a minute later after being knocked silly by the tomboy.

"Holy crap that hurt." Corey muttered.

"I think I just got a concussion," Eric said, trying to focus his eyes.

"Sparks, help me," Tom said, raising his hand up.

Sparks leaned forward and held out his paw. Tom grasped it and managed to sit upright after Sparks gave a hard tug. He clambered back into his chair and rested his hand on his aching bruised cheek. He gave a piercing glare towards Elliott and was tempted to have Sparks shock her but decided against it. Elliott just smiled sweetly at Tom and making his eye twitch in annoyance. A couple of waiters came out holding a few trays containing the group's orders. One by one, plates of burgers and fries were placed on the table. The group wasted no time as they began to devour the delicious grilled food.

Sparks hopped on the table and began alternating between the fry and burger trays. Pino and Shade began to follow Sparks' lead as they too began to scarf down the food. Tom had challenged Eric to a burger eating contest and both of them were neck and neck at three. It was only a matter of time until one of them accepted defeat. The burgers were fairly large and they were filling Tom and Eric up quickly. Tom had finished his fourth burger and was about to start with number five but stopped when he saw Trent standing behind Elliott and Hayley. He glared up at the taller teen and began to wonder what he was up to.

"What the hell do you want?" Tom sneered.

"I just came over to tell you to actually put up a fight. If you come at me like you did when you fought that Indigo kid the first time, I'll be disappointed. I'll just take you out like I did to your friends here." Trent replied.

"If anyone here is weak, it's you. Like Corey said during your match, you haven't fought a Champion while I have and I'm pretty sure you're not going to be much trouble for me either."

Trent's face contorted to one of anger at the little jab Tom dealt to him. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles cracked.

"I'm still a protégé you punk. I've been trained by my mother who…" Trent began to rant.

"Who was trained by Lorelei, yadda, yadda, I heard the damn story. It doesn't make you special, Trent." Tom shot back.

Trent's face seemed to redden even further at Tom's lack of respect. He began to shake with anger as he looked at his opponent for the upcoming round. He was now eager to not just defeat Tom but to crush and humiliate him as much as possible.

"I'm going to take you down, Sandbourne." Trent snarled.

"Oh, I'm so scared. Big Trent Phoenix is going to unleash his rage upon me," Tom mocked, making his body quiver in fake fear.

Trent took a step towards Tom and towered over him. Tom stood up and stared up into Trent's eyes. While Trent was taller, Tom did have combative training from KNAMA and was hoping that Trent would attack him so he could slug him. Eric stood up behind Tom to help prevent a fight by giving Tom an advantage with numbers. Trent looked at Eric and was met with a warning look. He scoffed and crossed his arms before returning his gaze back to Tom.

"I'm telling you right now Trent, you won't win this fight. If you think you're ready to face a Champion, allow me to shed some light on you. They're called Champions for a reason." Tom began. "I'm not at a Champion level since Lance mopped the floor with me when I fought him back at the Silver Conference."

"Tch, I know this trivial stuff you're telling me, Sandbourne. Either cut to the chase or stop wasting my time." Trent replied.

"Okay then, Trent. How long does an average battle last between trainers?"

"Depends on what Pokémon are being used and the trainer's experience."

"Right, but the correct answer is about five minutes per battle between Pokémon. An average six on six battle can be anywhere between twenty and thirty minutes. As you know, Champions are six on six battles should you get to them in the league."

"What's your point?"

"I'm saying that Champions have their Pokémon trained to the point of knocking out an opponent's Pokémon within two minutes, maybe three if you're lucky. So that leaves you with about ten minutes of battle time with a Champion instead of a typical twenty to thirty minute battle."

Tom's little bit of information there surprised the group. Eric knew that information was accurate because he had seen Champions battle all the time when he competed in his earlier leagues and they were definitely no pushovers. They were the strongest trainers for a reason and defeating them is not an easy feat.

"And how long did you last?" Trent smirked.

"Lance wiped out my entire team in five minutes, Trent. I'm not ashamed to admit that because I completely underestimated Lance's power and I was overconfident. Now I realize I was nowhere near the level I needed to be to take him on." Tom replied.

"Five minutes? You are pathetic, Sandbourne. I'm sure your dad was disappointed in you."

Tom's anger rose at that statement and it took everything he had not to punch Trent's lights out. He decided that defeating him in their match would be more than satisfying.

"On the contrary, Trent. My dad was actually proud I made it as far as I did. Then again, I'm sure your mom was just as disappointed with your performance since you didn't even get to the Elite Four. After all that training she gave you, you still couldn't do jack," Tom said, smirking at Trent.

"Say that one more time." Trent dared, cracking his knuckles.

"Why should I? You heard me. Or are you just too thickheaded to believe the truth of my words?"

Trent took a step forward and looked about ready to punch Tom but was stopped when Sparks began channeling electricity. He eyed Sparks and could see that he would be shocked if he tried anything and he knew that a Raichu's shock was enough to knockout a Dragonite if maximized.

"Tch, two minutes is all I'll need to win our match, Sandbourne." Trent declared.

"We're not Champions you arrogant ass. So when we battle, I want you to set the timer on your watch. The fight will take exactly five minutes." Tom replied.

"Is that a bet?"

"It is, so let's make this interesting."

"I'm listening."

"If I win, you need to stay behind after the tournament and listen to a proposal I have for some of the trainers. Even though I dislike you, I'm required to look for strong trainers."

"And If I win?"

"Then I'll admit you're the better trainer."

"Not good enough."

"Oh? What else could you possibly want?"

"I want the strongest Pokémon in your party to take for keeps."

Tom went quiet when he heard Trent's desired prize for the bet. His hand unconsciously touched the Pokeball containing his strongest Pokémon. He didn't have to agree to the bet and began to wonder if it was even worth the trouble of recruiting Trent. His friends had looks of worry on their faces and were probably wondering if he was daring enough to take the bet. However, Tom wasn't one to back down from a challenge, and if anything, the Pokémon wouldn't obey Trent since it only listened to him.

"Alright Trent, deal," Tom said, holding out his hand.

"Hope you're ready to have a bad day, Sandbourne," Trent replied, shaking Tom's hand.

With that, Trent turned on his heel and walked out of the restaurant. The group was silent for a few seconds, not daring to say anything. The silence became too awkward and was finally broken when Elliott glared at Tom and stood up. She jabbed him in the chest with her fingers.

"Are you crazy or just plain stupid?" Elliott asked.

"I'm neither, Elliott. Now stop poking me." Tom replied.

"I don't think that was a good idea, Sandman." Eric said.

"Don't worry about it, Eric. All I have to do is last five minutes and I win the bet."

Sparks hopped on Tom's back and had a concerned look on his face. He wasn't too thrilled that Tom gave into temptation and bet against Trent. Tom placed a wad of cash to cover his bill and a tip before getting ready to leave. Eri stood up and wrapped her hand around Tom's wrist.

"Tom, that was very foolish of you to do," Eri said. "I can't believe you would do something that reckless!"

"I did what needed to be done, Eri!" Tom snapped back, jerking his hand away.

Tom stormed out of the building to prepare himself for his battle with Trent. His friends watched him vanish from sight and fell silent once again. None of them had seen Tom that mad before and it was something that they didn't want to see. He always had an optimistic attitude and cheery personality, but it was now replaced with one of anger. Trent had come and ruined the mood of the group and they all didn't feel hungry anymore.

"Let's get back to the stadium." Kenta said.

"Yeah," Eric agreed, placing money on the table.

* * *

They all placed paid their bills and departed the restaurant. Tom was nowhere in sight and they figured it would be best to let him calm down. He would come back when he was ready to come back. As they walked back to the coliseum, Eric looked around at the group. Each of them looked preoccupied with their thoughts, but the one that stood out to him the most was Eri. She looked hurt. Eric was pretty sure it had something to do with Tom's reaction towards her scolding. He walked over to Eri and began walking beside her.

"Are you okay, Eri?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Eri replied wiping her eyes.

"Doesn't look like you're alright. You're crying."

"I'm fine, Eric. Really, it's nothing."

"Is it with the way Tom went off on you back there?"

Eri's gaze lowered to the ground at the mention of Tom, confirming Eric's suspicion. Eric sighed and began to think of a way to try and defend Tom's outburst towards Eri. He knew Tom was the kind of guy that would sometimes take his anger out on someone if they interfered or tried to add their two cents worth to the issue. He would usually feel horrible about it later and apologize and it just seemed it would have to be that way with him and Eri later.

"Well, Eri, you may feel as though Tom's mad with you, but he's not. He just gets a little defensive when someone tries to add their opinion or scold him for something he believes he's doing right. It was nothing against you personally." Eric explained.

"I just wanted to calm him down. He was so angry with Trent that I thought it clouded his judgment when he made that deal with him." Eri replied.

"And that's kind of you to do, Eri. The only thing is Tom is a strong and independent guy so he will often ignore others in favor for his instinct."

"He's making a mistake, Eric. If he loses he's going to lose his strongest Pokémon!"

"Eri, trust me. Tom may have made a poor decision back there but you need to have faith in him. I know for a fact he will not lose the bet."

"How do you know that?"

"He doesn't know how to fail."

Eri let Eric's words sink into her. She did want to believe that Tom was capable of handling himself, but her motherly instinct just made her a worrisome person. What it boiled down to was that she felt a little protective of Tom.

"You like him don't you?" Eric asked, a cheeky grin spreading across his face.

"Excuse me?" Eri asked, looking back at Eric.

"You like Tom, right?"

"Well of course I do, he's my friend."

"You know what I mean, Eri."

Eri's face turned scarlet at Eric's accusation. She began to fidget under his teasing stare and he began to laugh. Eric had a feeling Eri was taken with Tom when he observed her a couple of times throughout the day. He noticed her subtle glances at him, her attempts at trying to get him to talk to her and the look of envy on her face when Hayley hugged him earlier that day. Eri turned away to prevent anyone from seeing her face which was currently resembling a tomato. Pino shot a glare at Eric for teasing his master but Eric ignored it and shook his head.

"I do not like him." Eri stammered.

"Denial is the first stage." Eric retorted.

"I don't!"

"Then why does your face look like a tomato?"

If Eri's face could grow any redder, it did. It was now a dark shade of red. She began muttering "Shut-up," to Eric as he made a couple more jabs at her. He turned serious for a moment before looking down at Eri.

"If you do like him Eri, you need to make a move before another girl does." Eric said.

"I'll keep that in mind, Eric." Eri muttered.

Eric smiled and gave her a pat on the shoulder before walking back up to Kenta and Corey. Eri's face was returning back to its pale state as she was able to let the teasing leave her system. She sped up and started walking beside Vanessa and Hayley.

"Are you feeling okay, Eri?" Hayley asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Tom just needs to calm down." Eri smiled back.

"Okay. I hope he does, and I hope he does apologize for snapping at you."

"I'm sure he will, Hayley. Thank you."

* * *

The group had reentered the stadium and made their way to the staging area to get ready to watch the next round. First up were Elliott and Eric. Both of them had selected the Pokémon that they would use and were now preparing their strategies for the fight. As time began to dwindle before the round began, Tom was still nowhere to be seen. The group had seen Trent who was looking pretty smug which irritated them. Music erupted in the stadium pumping up the crowd. Elliott and Eric looked at each other and shook hands.

"Don't hold back, farm boy." Elliott smirked.

"Right back at you." Eric replied.

They let go of each other's hands and went to their respective sides of the field. Eric was on the left side while Elliott was at the right. Elliott pointed at the field and Shade hopped in while Eric clutched the Pokeball containing his Pokémon. As they waited for the referee to signal the fight, John and Bob resumed their commentary.

**"Welcome back to the Pokémon Battle Network where we continue the Nacrene City Battle Tournament. I'm John Pederson."** John greeted.

**"I'm Bob Houser and we're ready for round three of the tournament here so let's get underway."** Bob said.

**"We'll be starting round three with Eric Stone and Elliott Kane's match. Let's see who will come away victorious."**

The referee received the go from John and Bob and cleared his throat.

"Let the battle between Eric Stone and Elliott Kane begin!"

* * *

Elliott already had Shade selected and standing on the field. Eric reared his arm back and threw his Pokeball out to the center of the arena. The ball opened with a loud crack and a large Pokémon began to take shape. When the white glow vanished, it revealed a Snorlax standing tall. Elliott's eyes widened in surprise at the hefty Pokémon before her. Shade looked terrified at the size of his opponent and glanced back at Elliott as if to tag him out. Meanwhile down in the spectating area, Eri pulled out the Pokedex Tom gave her and pointed it at the large Pokémon.

_**"Snorlax, the sleeping Pokémon. Snorlax is one of the heaviest known Pokémon, exceeding 1000 pounds. When its belly is full, it becomes too lethargic to even lift a finger, so it is safe to bounce on its belly."**_ Dexter informed.

"Oh my lord," Eri muttered, looking up at the fat Pokémon.

"Aw man, I feel for Shade right now." Kenta said.

"No kidding. If that Snorlax hits him with a Body Slam it's over." Corey agreed.

"So Stoner brought him out, eh?" Tom asked, gathering his friend's attention.

"Hey, you're finally back." Vanessa said.

"Yeah, I just had to blow off some steam."

Tom's eyes fell on Eri and he saw her turn around after making eye contact with him. He frowned because he knew the reason she was hesitant on speaking to him. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair as he tried to come up with an apology to give to Eri. Finally thinking of one, he put his hat back on and went up to Eri. Eri turned around and came face to face with Tom but didn't say anything.

"Eri, can I talk with you for a second?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, of course you can." Eri replied.

"Eri, I just wanted to apologize about yelling at you back at the restaurant. I took my frustration out on you and you didn't deserve that. You were just looking out for me and I got defensive."

Eri smiled and stood up. She wrapped her arms around Tom and hugged him. Tom returned Eri's hug and was glad she accepted the apology her gave her. They released the hug and returned their focus to Eric's and Elliott's battle. Both of them would send an attack and receive one in return.

"Shade, use Low Kick!" Elliott hollered.

Shade leapt at Snorlax and swung his leg out at the large Pokémon's feet. Snorlax, while heavy, was no pushover. Eric snapped his fingers and Snorlax jumped high and avoided the kick. He landed on the ground and glanced down at the smaller Pokémon.

"Snorlax, use Body Slam!" Eric ordered.

Snorlax jumped into the air once again with his arms and legs stretched out. He descended upon Shade and Elliott knew she had to act fast or Shade would get crushed.

"Shade, dodge and use Sand Attack!" Elliott said.

Shade jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being turned into a pancake. He brought his arms back and swung them forward. The force of the swing created a large gust of wind and carried small particles of dirt and dust. The cloud of dust and dirt soared towards Snorlax and hit him straight in the face. Snorlax bolted upright and began rubbing his eyes to try and clear them. Shade used his opportunity to strike and jumped at Snorlax again. He brought his leg back and smashed it into Snorlax's ankle. Snorlax howled in pain as he swiped Shade away.

"Shade, hit him with Brick Break!" Elliott ordered.

"Snorlax, dodge and use Brick Break!" Eric countered back.

Shade jumped up at Snorlax with his fist glowing white with power to hit him in the head. Snorlax sidestepped the attack and brought his own fist back. It began to glow white with power as he brought it down on Shade. The attack chopped Shade in the back and sent him spiraling across the field. He bounced as he hit the ground and landed by Elliott's feet. He pushed himself up and glared at Snorlax and was met with one in return.

"Snorlax, use Hyper Beam!" Eric shouted.

Snorlax opened his mouth and a large orange ball of energy began to form. Once the ball was finished forming, Snorlax took a deep breath and a vicious orange beam shot at Shade. Elliott ordered Shade to dodge the attack and he moved out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit with the full blast. The attack hit the floor and exploded, shaking the entire area. The impact of the devastating power left a massive crater in the previous spot Shade was standing. Shade was hit by some of the flying debris from the attack when it hit the ground and was fighting through the pain. Eric cursed under his breath at missing the attack and knew that Snorlax would be defenseless for a short time.

"Shade, use Brick Break!" Elliott barked.

Shade jumped up at Snorlax again with his fist glowing white. He slugged his power infused fist across Snorlax's face, making him stagger back in pain. He jumped up again and punched Snorlax across the face once more with Brick Break. Snorlax growled in pain and frustration at the smaller Pokémon. He swatted Shade away after being able to regain movement from using Hyper Beam.

"Body Slam!" Eric yelled.

Snorlax jumped high in the air and began to fall towards Shade. Shade got up to move but couldn't get out of the way in time. Snorlax crushed Shade with his full weight, silencing the crowd at the sight. He pushed himself off the ground and fell back on his but to survey the damage he left on Shade. Shade was flattened on the ground and struggling to push himself up once again. He got to his feet gingerly and began to sway a little bit as he tried to stay conscious.

"Shade, hang in there!" Elliott encouraged. "Use Payback!"

Shade's fist was glowing purple as he jumped at Snorlax who was still sitting on the ground trying to locate the energy to stand up again. His fist hit Snorlax across the face again and Snorlax gave a growl of pain once again. Shade avoided another swipe from Snorlax and landed a few feet away as he waited for another command from Elliott. Eric made his move to allow Snorlax some time to regain his energy.

"Snorlax, use Rest!" Eric ordered.

Snorlax seemed to instantly obey as he fell backwards and went to sleep. Elliott was a little confused as to why Eric had Snorlax go to sleep in the middle of a fight and decided to attack while Snorlax's guard was down.

"Shade, use Brick Break!" Elliott said.

Shade hopped onto Snorlax and smashed his glowing fist into Snorlax's stomach. He was surprised as his fist just sunk in and had no effect. Elliott stood there mouth agape in confusion at the turn of events. That was the first time she attempted to hit Snorlax in the stomach with Brick Break but it failed. Snorlax's fat absorbed the punch and she immediately figured it out.

"So that's it. I can only hit Snorlax on his legs, arms or head because the fat bastard uses it as a defense." Elliott said.

"I see you figured it out, Elliott. Nice job." Eric complimented.

"Well fine! Shade, do it again and go for Snorlax's face!"

Shade nodded and jumped on top of Snorlax's belly and bounced high in the air. His fist began to glow white once again as he dove towards Snorlax's face. While this was happening, Eric pulled out a small bell from his pocket and gave it a jingle. Right when the first note played, Snorlax rolled out of the way and dodged the attack. The speedy recovery surprised everyone when Snorlax dodged the attack.

"Come on, Elliott. You didn't think I'd let you pull it off that easily, did you?" Eric asked.

"How did? Never mind, Shade, use Low Kick!" Elliott shouted.

Shade dashed at Snorlax and did a sliding kick at him. Snorlax jumped back and his fist began to glow white as Eric snapped his fingers. He towered over Shade and brought his fist down. Shade scrambled to his feet and narrowly dodged the brutal punch. Snorlax's punch connected with the ground and made it crack from the power. He jumped at Shade again with Brick Break and this time his aim was true. His fist crashed into Shade's back and a loud boom filled the arena. A cloud of dust kicked up and obscured the view of the spectators. Elliott froze in horror and was beginning to wonder if Shade would be down for the count. When the dust had settled, Snorlax towered over Shade who was lying sprawled out in a small crater.

Snorlax began walking back over to Eric as he waited for Shade to move. As time ticked by, Elliott knew she had seconds to get Shade up and moving or else the fight would be declared in Eric's favor. She fell to her knees and clenched her fists and began to tremble.

"No, no, no," Elliott muttered slamming her fist into the ground. "Shade, you need to get up! Don't let him beat you like that!"

Eric crossed his arms as he watched Elliott pleading with Shade to stand up once again. He gave a nod in respect as Elliott refused to be defeated. Snorlax turned back to Shade and waited for him to move again.

"Not like this, Shade! Get up! How can we become members of the Elite Four if you go down that easily? Get up, damn-it!" Elliott yelled.

Shade's eyes snapped open as he heard Elliott's words. He began using whatever strength he could muster to sit up and get to his feet. After a few seconds, Shade was able to stand up once again but he was on his last legs. He was trembling from both adrenaline and exhaustion as he prepared to give one last wave of attacks. Elliott grinned and stood up after seeing Shade on his feet once more. She was ready to continue and win to progress to the semifinals to face either Kenta or Hayley.

"Let's wrap this up, Elliott. So come at us with everything you've got!" Eric hollered.

"Fine then!" Elliott retorted.

"Snorlax, Hyper Beam!"

Snorlax opened his mouth as terrifying energy began to build inside it. Elliot froze once again and spared a glance at Shade to see how he was holding up. Shade was petrified in fear as he saw the horrifying power getting ready to be unleashed. He was still pretty banged up and he would have to move if he wanted to stand a chance of winning. Elliott's mind began to race as she thought of a possible solution and her mind finally clicked. She remembered Tom's battle against Corey a few days ago with Sparks and Crusader and decided to use his method.

"Shade, get ready to move on my command!" Elliott said.

Shade nodded as he kept his focus on the Hyper Beam getting ready to be released. Snorlax finished storing the power and his mouth opened wide. The powerful attack soared at Shade and as it grew closer, Elliott was running out of time to make her call.

"Shade, dodge the attack by rolling back!" Elliott barked.

Shade fought through the pain he was feeling and managed to do a couple of backflips and dodged the attack at the last second. He stood up and brought up his skin to absorb any damage from the debris that blasted everywhere. Fortunately the attack created a large cloud of smoke which blocked Shade from view to allow him a chance to make his move.

"Shade, charge him and use Payback!" Elliott shouted.

Shade dashed out of the smoke and advanced on Snorlax. He pushed all the power he had into his legs and sprung up high. His fist was glowing purple with power as he prepared to use the vicious attack. He punched Snorlax across the face as hard as he could. Snorlax was defenseless after using Hyper Beam and lost his balance. He landed on his back and struggled to get up but it was proving to be very difficult. Elliott decided to let Shade do his favorite thing to strangers he didn't like.

"Shade, go for it!" Elliott said.

Shade jumped on Snorlax's belly and shot high into the air. Many were wondering what was going to happen when Shade did that. They were anticipating something like diving Brick Break or another Low Kick. What happened next would definitely throw them for a loop. While Shade was still going higher into the air, Snorlax managed to get to his feet. Shade began to fall back towards Snorlax and flipped in the air. He was now diving headfirst towards Snorlax and picking up speed. Eric finally figured out what was going to happen and had Snorlax make his move.

"Snorlax, use Brick Break when he's in range!" Eric yelled.

Snorlax squinted up at Shade, trying to ignore the sunlight. He held his fist back as it began to glow white with power. Shade was now upon Snorlax and he swung up to hit him with Brick Break. Shade managed to do a corkscrew maneuver at the last second, avoiding the hard punch. He smashed headfirst into Snorlax's skull and both of them froze on impact. For a second, neither of them moved as they coped with the head splitting attack. Shade jumped off of Snorlax and landed on the ground, looking up at the larger Pokémon. Snorlax began to sway before falling face first to the floor at Shade's feet.

"Snorlax is unable to battle! The winner is Elliott Kane of Accumula Town!" The referee declared.

* * *

The stadium erupted into tumultuous applause from the wild and interesting fight. No one was expecting Elliott to win because of Snorlax's power, but he came through at the last second to deal the final blow. Elliott rushed onto the field and scooped Shade up into her arms and began to hug him tightly.

"Shade, that was awesome!" Elliott cheered.

"I'll say," Eric agreed, walking over to them with Snorlax in tow. "That's a weird little dude you have there, Elliott. Keep him up on his training and he'll be a monster."

"Thanks, Eric. You're Snorlax is really strong to take all those hits from a Fighting-Type."

Eric held out his hand and Elliott took it and they gave a firm shake. He held out a Pokeball and recalled Snorlax to it. The two of them descended the arena and towards their group to multiple cheers and grins.

"Nice job, Elliott!" Kenta said, giving her a hug.

Normally Elliott would've knocked Kenta silly for being forward, but since she still had the deal with Vanessa going on, she decided against it. She returned the gesture which in turn surprised Kenta but he didn't bring it up. They broke the embrace and returned to the conversation taking place.

"So how is your Snorlax so fast, Eric? I'd imagine he'd be slow because of his weight?" Eri asked.

"It's amazing what you can do when you have a large hill, a stick, some string and a twinkie." Eric replied.

Corey burst out laughing when he heard that. Eric's method of increasing Snorlax's speed was just a basic thing to help obese people get into shape. Apparently it worked as they had observed Snorlax's speed first hand. Eric shook his head at the memories he had of making Snorlax chase the twinkies up the hills as he ran.

"Yup, Donut can move when he wants to." Eric said.

"You named him Donut?" Hayley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup, he got it after he ate all my donuts when I was traveling Kanto with Sandman."

"I still say you should've named him Optimus." Tom muttered.

Eric ignored Tom's statement and sat down on the bench. Tom smirked at the memory when he and Eric encountered Snorlax. They spent the entire day trying to wake it up because his excess fat was covering their supplies and they couldn't get to it. Eric finally decided to catch it and somehow pulled it off without much difficulty because it was asleep. Tom turned to the battlefield and he caught a glimpse of Trent. His blood began to boil as he looked at the taller teen.

**"Well how do you like that? Elliot's Scraggy beat Eric's Snorlax in a David and Goliath battle there!"** John said.

**"I'm just as surprised as you are, John. That Scraggy was really tough for hanging in there."** Bob replied.

**"I just want to go on record here, but this was just amazing."**

John pulled up the instant replay on the screen with Shade dodging Snorlax's Brick Break at the last second and did a head on head collision. Bob nodded in agreement at the footage that was played back.

**"Elliott used Scraggy's hard head to her advantage and turned it into some sort of a kamikaze attack!"** John chuckled.

**"That's indeed very bold."** Bob agreed.

**"Well, I'll have to put that on the highlight reel tonight. So let's get down to our final match of round four."**

**"Yes, Tom Sandbourne against Trent Phoenix. The crowd seems to be in favor for Tom from what I can see. I think they're still upset with the outcome of Trent's previous fight against Vanessa Blake."**

Tom had the Pokeball containing the Pokémon he was going to use for the fight ready to go. He wasn't sure what to expect with Trent but he didn't care since his focus was to take him down. He glanced at his watch as he remembered the duration he had settled on with Trent. After receiving some words of encouragement from his friends, Tom made his way over to the stairs to the field. With each step he took, he felt his heartbeat increase and his level of anger towards Trent as well. When he reached his side, he clutched the Pokeball he was holding so hard that it shook. Finally, his enemy appeared on the other end of the field with a Pokeball in hand.

"Hope you're ready to lose and be one Pokémon short, Sandbourne." Trent taunted.

Tom held up his wrist and pointed to his watch to tell him to start the timer when the battle started. He could see Trent roll his eyes as he prepared to start the timer on his watch. Before the referee gave the go, Tom leveled Trent with the harshest glare he could give. He held up five fingers to further emphasize his point.

"Let the match between Tom Sandbourne and Trent Phoenix begin!" The referee said.

* * *

Tom and Trent both threw their Pokeballs into the battlefield.

"Magmar, standby for battle!" Trent said.

"Let's rock!" Tom yelled.

Both Pokeballs opened with a loud crack and a white glow appeared in front of Tom and Trent. The first Pokémon to be revealed was Trent's Magmar. It stood strong and was glaring at the Pokémon that was materializing in front of Tom. When the light vanished, in its place stood a Lucario. Lucario looked up and locked his eyes with Magmar's. Not waiting for Tom to make a move, Trent gave his first command.

"Magmar, use Flamethrower!" Trent said.

"Lucario, dodge with Extremespeed!" Tom countered back.

Magmar released a blazing stream of fire at Lucario but it hit nothing but air. Lucario had vanished on Tom's command and reappeared beside Magmar and smashed into his side. Magmar's face scrunched up in pain from the brutal tackle and was sent skidding back from the brute force. Magmar shook off the pain and glared back at Lucario who was staring calmly back at him.

"Magmar, Confuse Ray!" Trent said.

Magmar held out his hands and a bright flash of white light emerged from them. Lucario's eyes screwed shut in pain from the blinding flash. As he tried to regain his focus, Trent had Magmar continue his assault on Lucario.

"Flamethrower!" Trent said.

Magmar's mouth opened and he shot another jet of fire at Lucario. The fire hit Lucario head on and he gave a howl in pain from the strong attack. He fell to his knees as he tried to recover from the harsh attack. Getting to his feet, he sent a glare back at Magmar as he prepared to attack.

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" Tom hollered.

Lucario held his paws apart and a blue ball of rotating energy appeared. He thrust his palms forward and the ball went soaring at Magmar, only to curve around and go towards the stands. The ball bounced off the stands and went soaring back to Lucario who brought up his arms to defend himself from the rogue attack. The ball collided with Lucario's arms and he gave another cry of pain. Tom bared his teeth as he looked at the situation before him. If Lucario didn't snap out of confusion soon, the match would be over too early and he would lose the bet. He glanced down at his watch and saw the time at 1:45 which made him swallow nervously. Taking a deep breath to calm down, he returned his focus to the fight.

"Magmar, use Fire Punch!" Trent said.

Magmar leapt at Lucario with his fist coated in searing flames. Lucario saw Magmar coming for him and prepared to counter the attack.

"Lucario, dodge and use Close Combat!" Tom ordered.

Lucario sidestepped the punch and started his attack on Magmar. He brought his fist up and sent it crashing into Magmar's jaw. The force of the hit sent Magmar high in the air and Lucario followed after him. Punch after punch, kick after kick, both Pokémon went higher into the air. Lucario gripped onto Magmar's shoulder and flipped himself over to deliver the final strike.

"Magmar, Fire Punch!" Trent yelled.

Magmar's fist was covered with flames once again and sent it into Lucario's jaw. Lucario growled at the burning attack and fought through the pain to finish up his attack. He drove his fist into Magmar's stomach with as much strength as he could. Magmar's eyes widened as he felt the air leave his body from the punch. He was sent spiraling back down into the stadium and hit the ground hard. A small crater was created when Magmar hit and it kicked up a small cloud of dust. Lucario landed on his feet and fell to his knees. The fire that Magmar had hit him with earlier must have left a delayed burn effect as he winced in pain.

Tom saw that Lucario was suffering from a burning ailment and cursed as he now had to be extra careful. He glanced down at the watch which now read 2:35. All he had to do was make sure that Lucario could last another two and a half minutes. Lucario got to his feet and resumed a fighting stance as he waited for Magmar to get up and attack again. He got his wish when another blast of fire shot out of the dust cloud causing it to disperse.

Magmar was looking a little roughed up from Lucario's previous attack and that helped calm Tom down a little bit. Lucario did a cartwheel to avoid the scorching flames and continued running as Magmar continued the attack. He could feel the heat closing in on him as he continued running in a circle. Magmar's attack finally ended as he stopped to regain his breath. Lucario stopped his run and awaited Tom's next command.

"Aura Sphere!" Tom yelled

Lucario's hand began forming another ball of spinning energy. He launched the ball towards Magmar who was still trying to catch his breath. Trent wasn't going to let Lucario score a hit on Magmar that easily and decided to counter the attack.

"Magmar, hit that ball with Fire Punch!" Trent shouted.

Magmar covered his fist with fire again and gave a hard punch on the Aura Sphere as it came within range. The punch did dispel the attack but it also inflicted some decent damage on Magmar's arm. He fell to his knees and clutched his arm in pain as the attack took its toll on him. Lucario saw another opening with Magmar's guard dropped.

"Lucario, hit him with Extremespeed!" Tom yelled.

Lucario vanished once again and appeared in front of Magmar, ramming his shoulder and arm into Magmar's stomach. Magmar was sent off his feet and bouncing across the field from the hit. He gingerly got to his feet after coming to a stop and shook off whatever pain he was feeling. Lucario fell to his knee after dealing with another burning sensation sting him. Trent saw his window and had Magmar prepare his strongest attack.

"Magmar, use Hyper Beam!" Trent barked.

Magmar stood up and an orange and red ball began to form in front of his mouth. While this was taking place, Tom was urging Lucario to stand up and get ready to dodge the attack. Magmar finished collecting energy and sent the deadly beam right at Lucario. Lucario saw the beam coming and moved just in time, but the attack landed right at his feet. He was launched into the air with debris following him. He hit the ground and rolled to a halt at the center of the field. Lucario was covered with chunks of rock from the battlefield and was struggling to get to his feet. Even though he was in a lot of pain, Lucario found his second wind and burst to his feet. The rocks exploded into pebbles when Lucario used his force to break out of the rocks. He saw Magmar recovering from using the previous attack and decided to make his move.

"Lucario, hit him with Aura Sphere again!" Tom yelled.

Lucario had already sent the rotating ball of energy at Magmar before Tom got the order out. The ball crashed into Magmar's stomach and blasted him off his feet and towards Trent. Magmar landed at Trent's feet and it made Trent furious that Tom and Lucario were still holding out despite the type disadvantage. Trent checked his watch after he set the time like Tom told him to. It was currently 4:05 and Trent was losing precious time to win the bet. The thought of failure was driving him insane and it made him even more furious. Magmar got to his feet and Trent wanted nothing more than to crush Lucario for his obstinate nature.

"Magmar, use Fire Punch!" Trent spat.

Magmar jumped at Lucario and with his fists covered in fire again. He gave one swing which Lucario dodged with ease. He gave another swing and that too was met with a dodge. Magmar continued to try and hit Lucario with a Fire Punch but it was proving to be quite the challenge. Each punch was met with either a parry or dodge from Lucario. Finally, Magmar got a break. Lucario stopped right when he was about to dodge because of the burns he received. Magmar drove his fist into Lucario's stomach and sent him careening in the air and he landed in a heap at Tom's feet. Lucario bared his teeth and pushed himself up off the ground to go and attack Magmar again, but Trent had other plans.

"Magmar, finish it with Flamethrower!" Trent sneered.

Tom checked his watch and it read 4:45. He just needed to last fifteen seconds and he won the bet. Magmar sent a jet of flames at Lucario and the engulfed him completely. Tom's heart stopped when he saw Lucario vanish in the flames. His throat went dry and across the arena, he could see Trent smirking. Tom clenched his fists and glared at Trent with nothing but sinister intentions. This fight was not done yet. A collective gasp came from the crowd as Lucario was getting to his feet inside the intense flames. He glanced back and Tom and Tom looked him in the eye. Lucario nodded at Tom and that was his cue to wrap up the fight.

"Let's end this, Lucario!" Tom said. "Use Extremespeed in the flames!"

Lucario crouched down low and began to negate his pain and used all of his energy to jump at Lucario. He vanished from sight and burst through the attack. He was made visible because of smaller flames covering him.

"What?" Trent growled in disbelief. "Magmar, go full power on him!"

"Lucario, use Focus Punch!" Tom yelled, giving a punch of his own.

Lucario's entire arm began to glow white as he channeled all the remaining power he had into it. He landed by Magmar and gave a vicious punch. There was a crunch as Lucario's fist smashed across Magmar's face. As soon as his knuckles left Magmar's cheek, he was sent flying off of the battlefield and towards Trent. Trent ducked just in time to avoid getting hit by Magmar. Magmar crashed into the wall with such force that it left a full body print inside of it. Lucario swayed and fell face first to the field and Trent smirked. He had won.

"I win, Sandbourne." Trent smirked.

"Check your watch, dipshit," Tom replied, holding up his wrist and pointing to his watch.

Trent rolled his eyes and decided to humor Tom. His smirk was replaced with disbelief and he glanced back at Magmar. Magmar had fallen out of the crater he made and hit the ground out cold. Trent growled and looked at his watch when he stopped it. The time stopped on 5:00 exactly. Trent's face was burning red with rage at not only losing the bet but tying with Tom no less.

"While neither of us won the fight, I did win the bet. Now, think about what I told you about Champions, Trent. You are not prepared to take them on yet and this only proves my point. Had you been fighting a Champion, you would've had at least three of your Pokémon taken out at this time." Tom said.

He raised Lucario's Pokeball and returned him to it. Trent said nothing as he recalled Magmar to his Pokeball. While Tom disliked Trent, it wouldn't stop him from shaking his hand for the fight. He walked to the center of the field and waited for Trent to do the same. Trent only glared at Tom and pointed a trembling finger at him.

"This was a fluke, Sandbourne. This fight was a fluke so I don't count this battle. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still undefeated until my opponent's Pokémon is the last one standing." Trent sneered.

He turned on his heel and descended the stairs, ignoring Tom and the sportsmanship.

"This match has ended with a draw! Neither participant will proceed to the next round!" The referee declared.

* * *

Tom sighed and shook his head as he turned around to depart the field. As Tom walked off he was met with thunderous applause for stopping Trent's progression to the next round. Even though he didn't win, Tom didn't care. His main goal was to fight Trent and prove to him that he wasn't such a hotshot and he succeeded in doing so. He made his way over to his friend who all had grins on their faces.

"Now that's what I'm talking about, Sandman!" Eric said, clapping him on the back.

"Nice fight, bro. You have no idea how good it felt to see him fail." Corey grinned.

"Nice job, Tommy!" Hayley and Vanessa cheered, as they both wrapped him up in hugs which he happily returned.

Kenta and Elliott ruffled Tom's hair and gave him hard slaps on the back. He couldn't stop himself from grinning. Tom made his way over to Eri and looked down at her. She had a happy smile on her face.

"I told you I would win," Tom grinned, resting his hands on the back of his head.

"Yeah, and you were right." Eri nodded. "Although I still stand by my belief on you making an idiotic bet."

Tom shrugged and was met with another hug as Eri wrapped her arms around him. He reciprocated and gave an even stare back at Pino as he glared at him. Eri released the hug and looked away as her cheeks turned red. Tom was about to ask her if she was feeling alright but was drawn back to the conversation between Kenta, Corey and Eric. Music echoed around the stadium and the screen resumed playing highlights of the past matches. The crowd began cheering once again as the semifinal lineup was about to be announced. Bob and John continued with their commentary once again.

**"What a brilliant battle! Wouldn't you agree, John?"** Bob asked.

**"Bob, that battle was just a scorcher. I could see the sparks flying between Trent and Tom and it was furious. It's obvious that those two do not like each other, I'll tell you that."** John replied.

**"No kidding. I haven't seen this level of anger between trainers in a long time."**

**"Bob, don't forget all of these other battles we've seen today. All of them have been spectacular and I will definitely watch the rerun when it airs tomorrow."**

**"I think I will too. Now, let's get back to the screen where we'll see the lineup for the semifinal."**

The screen began to scroll through the remaining contestants. Elliott's, Kenta's and Hayley's pictures kept scrolling on the screen as it tried to determine who was going to fight in the semifinal round. It finally came to a stop for the semifinal contestants. Hayley, Kenta and Elliott all looked at each other then up at the screen once again.

**"There's our semifinal match. Kenta Hammer against Elliott Kane and the winner will face Hayley White in the final round!"** John boomed.

Kenta and Elliott turned to look at each other. They haven't fought each other yet except for their verbal battles. Now it was time to go head to head in a Pokémon battle for the first time to see who was stronger to prevail in their goal to win the tournament.

"Bring it on, Johto boy." Elliott said.

"Your wish is my command, baby," Kenta replied, bowing to Elliott with a cheeky grin on his face.

* * *

Omake: New Years Eve

It was almost midnight as Tom, Corey, Kenta, Eri, Vanessa, Elliott and Hayley gathered around the TV. Time was running out before the new year began and everyone was in a festive mood as they prepared for the ball to drop. Tom had replaced his trademark hat with a party hat to be dressed for the occasion. Sparks had finished strapping on party hats for Pino, Shade, Ace and Crystal before handing out some streamers, whistles and balloons. Corey had taken the time to freshen up a bit to prepare for any ladies that would be joining them later. Kenta had finished putting mouth spray in and tucked it away in his pants.

"I am ready for the new year, baby!" Kenta grinned.

"Easy there cowboy, we gotta wait for the others to arrive," Tom said, patting him on the back.

"It's nice to be celebrating with friends." Eri said.

"Argh, they're taking forever to get here!" Elliott groaned.

A knock came from the door and Elliott quickly went over to open it. Eric, Hayley, Chris, Indigo, Alondra, Itzal, Luna, Ririkku, Dwayne and Nova entered the room. They were invited to the party after battling in the tournament and accepted without hesitation. Vanessa came out a room holding some bottles of soda to set on the counter. She gave a wave at the newcomers as they all grabbed a hat, whistle and streamers.

"Thanks for inviting us," Dwayne said as he took a handful of chex mix.

"No problem man. It's more fun with others around." Kenta waved.

"Hey it's all nice you're here, but shut up! There's like twenty seconds left before the new year!" Elliott said.

"Get your whistles ready people and if you have someone you want to kiss, get into position." Eric said.

Eri, Corey, Kenta all got to their respective spots when Eric made that statement. Kenta was standing by Elliott and Hayley while Corey went over to Chris and Eri went to Tom. Tom was completely oblivious to Eri's presence as he was tying his shoe. The TV turned to John Pederson and Bob Houser as they were the hosts and were getting ready to start the countdown. Fifteen seconds to go until the new year.

"Everybody better have their resolutions ready to go." Kenta said.

"I give each one at least one day before they're broken," Alondra shrugged, sipping her soda.

"Hey, it's starting!" Hayley grinned.

"Ten!" Everyone began. "Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four..."

Kenta turned to face Elliott and leaned forward. Elliott saw this coming and did the only thing that popped into her head. She pushed Kenta away with her hand causing him to fall back into Hayley. Eri tripped and fell towards Kenta after he hit the ground. Hayley fell towards Tom who turned to catch her as he hit the ground.

"One! Happy New Year!" Everyone cheered.

Corey kissed Chris on the cheek as midnight struck while other blew into their whistles and waved the streamers. Eri pushed herself off of Kenta and glanced up at Tom who was currently in a surprise liplock from Hayley. Both of their faces were red with surprise. Eri looked down at Kenta and a small smile formed on her face which promised nothing but pain. She had one goal in mind and now she couldn't do it.

"Kenta, I'll give you a five second headstart before I have Pino here do whatever he wants to you." Eri said.

"Oh crap." Kenta squeaked.

The camera that was placed in front of the group snapped the picture. The picture would later be placed in the wallets of the partiers as a memory to their time together. The final shot managed to get quite the scene. Tom and Hayley had red faces from the unexpected kiss. Eri was throttling Kenta for messing up her plan to kiss Tom. Corey had planted a kiss on Chris's cheek who looked a little confused and surprised at the contact. Vanessa had a full blown grin on her face as she had Elliott wrapped in a one armed hug. Elliott was returning Vanessa's gesture as she was drinking her soda. Dwayne, Indigo and Itzal were looking at Eri and Kenta with amusement. Alondra was downing the rest of the soda in her cup. Ririkku was being restrained by Eric and Nova as she tried and interview Tom and Hayley. Luna looked indifferent to her surroundings as she munched away at some chex mix.

Sparks was pinning Pino down to prevent him from harming Kenta. Crystal and Ace were blowing into the party whistles as they watched the scene in front of them. On the bottom of the photo it said, "New Years Eve 2012. See you next year!"

* * *

**Alright everybody, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the litle omake I had at the end here. Now bear in mind, this omake was completely separate from the story and did not happen in the story, this was just a little joke and a fun extra bit. Hope you all have a good New Year's Eve. I will because I'll be going to see Aranda, Wayland and 12 Stones tonight and then I'm watching the Rose Bowl tomorrow so yeah, I'm taking a good break. Be sure to check out these stories below and don't forget about the character popularity poll for the story here that can be found on my profile page. Happy New Year and I'll see you guys next time!-CaptainPrice**

**Battle Record: W:L:D (Wins, losses, draws)**

**Tom: 5:1:2**

**Corey: 2:1:1**

**Kenta: 4:1:0**

**Elliott: 3:2:0**

**Vanessa: 3:1:0**

**Story Shoutouts:**

**"Unova Eclipse: Bringer of Change" by bluemagesfairytail**

**Fey didn't want this to happen. Not again. Now they're seventeen, and brought together again. But this time, instead of Galactic, Plasma lurks, and a traitor surfaces. New faces, new chances, new possibilities. But it's hard to believe one of them has the intent to sabotage them all.**

**"Crossroads" by Cyclone20**

**After losing in the Sinnoh League to Tobias, Ash has returned home to realize that he has come to a crossroads in his life; continue to Unova or stop and get stronger so he doesn't have to feel the pain of defeat again and he can finally become the master that he has been destined to become; AshXAnabel.**

******"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: **

******This story is becomming one of the new stories that contain people with Pokemon powers/souls. It's extremely interesting and the first chapter alone was enough to get my attention and I'm sure it will be of interest to a lot of you readers as well. Recently updated on 12/8/12**

**"Countermeasures and Retaliation" by Barrett M107: Definitely check this story out.**

**Pokemon gangs are on the rise in Unova and more rookie trainers are joining them out of fear. The police and gym leaders can only do so much. However, one professor has been tracking each of the gangs movements and has decided enough is enough. He gathers a group of some of the strongest trainers of the generation around to fight back. Little do they know though that something more powerful is on the rise.**

**"Pokemon: Children of Arceus" by OwenG2107:**

**Nate, Rosa and their friends find themselves travelling together on a journey through the Unova region. The year is 2036 and Hilda and N are proud and happy to say that their kids are travellign on a journey through the tough routes and often scary cities. They are looking forward to meeting new friends and even enemies. **

**"From Darkness Comes Light" by PhatomStorm and DrummerGirl:**

**The story starts off with a girl running away with a Luxray named Leo. Although the intro chapter was a little short, the information released in the chapter leaves the reader on the edge of their seat to see what comes next. Definitely worth the read and be sure to drop a review for this intriguing story. **


	19. Nacrene City Battle Tournament Finale

**Hey all, Captain here with another update that I managed to sneak in between my winterim that's been kicking my ass with homework. This will most likely be the last update for the story for a while since school is starting up next week so I decided to get out one last update quick. We've finally reached the end of the battle tournament this chapter (thank God!) so don't expect seeing another one like that for a long time, it really drained me writing and I know some of you said you were getting bored with it, but I told you it would get redundant and that I was trying to wrap it up fast which is why I neglected doing anything with the group until just the last chapter. Stay tuned for the author's note at the end. Alright, let's get to the chapter guys be sure do drop a review to say what you liked and didn't like, yadda, yadda.**

**Warning: Minor language in this chapter, but it's rated T for a reason people.**

**Disclaimer: ****Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I own the OCs (Tom, Sparks, Sully, Eric, Roy, Alice, Langdon, Pierce, Clint), this story, and the idea of the story.**

**Chapter Summary: The Nacrene City Battle Tournament finishes up the final round with a heated battle. Tom and Eric gather together the trainers that were on the list to give them the details about their possible opportunity with PCTU and tell them what their objective is. Elliott and Trent also have a small run in which is anything but pleasant.**

**Bold- Message Bulletins/PA System/Plaques**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/ Xtransreceiver Conversations_**

* * *

Kenta stood up after bowing to Elliott and gave a smirk. Elliott rolled her eyes and crossed her arms at Kenta's behavior. The annoyance left her as she remembered she would now face Kenta for the first time in a battle. From what she had witnessed in his previous battles, he was not a weak trainer. Granted he may act like a jackass, he definitely knew how to battle well. She wouldn't admit it to him, but Elliott was very excited to test her skills against Kenta since she viewed him as a worthy rival.

"Don't hold back, Kenta." Elliott said.

"I won't, Elliott. If you want a tough fight, I'll give you one." Kenta answered.

Music echoed around the arena again and received cheers from the audience. Kenta and Elliott sent each other one final nod before turning to go to their respective ends of the field. Their friends gave each of them a bunch of encouragement and applause as they prepared for their match. They both selected their Pokémon for the round and ascended the staircase to the field. Elliott stood on the right side while Kenta was on the left. They made eye contact with each other and their grips tightened on their Pokeballs. The audience continued their cheering and increased the level of excitement to come. Kenta pointed his Pokeball towards Elliott and she mimicked his gesture.

_"Alright, I can do this. I've come this far and I plan to win this tournament."_ Elliott thought.

"Can't quit now. I've got two more matches to win." Kenta muttered.

The referee looked at Kenta and Elliott to confirm that they were ready to battle. Once he concluded that they were, he gave the signal to start.

"Let the battle between Kenta Hammer and Elliott Kane begin!" The referee said.

* * *

"Stronghold, let's go!" Elliott hollered.

"Stan, let's do this!" Kenta declared.

Kenta and Elliott sent their Pokeballs towards the center of the battlefield. The two balls opened with a loud crack and two shapes began to materialize on the field. In front of Elliott was her Timburr and in front of Kenta was his Cubone. The two Pokémon stared each other down as they waited for the first move. Elliott was the first to make a move in hopes to get the jump on Kenta.

"Stronghold, use Bulk Up!" Elliott ordered.

Stronghold stabbed his wooden beam into the ground and jumped to stand on top of it. As he kept his balance on the wooden post, he began to flex his muscles to power up. While Stronghold was warming up, Kenta made his move.

"Stan, use Bonemerang!" Kenta said.

Stan twirled the bone in his hand and reeled his arm back. With a strong heave, he released the heavy bone towards Stronghold. The bone was spinning violently and was getting closer to Stronghold each passing second. Elliott forgot about the long ranged attack that Stan had and knew she would have to be careful. The only way she would win the fight is if she had Stronghold get inside Stan's guard to prevent him from getting an attack in.

"Stronghold, dodge and use Force Palm!" Elliott barked.

Stronghold stopped flexing his muscles and back flipped just in time to avoid the flying bone. As he was descending, the bone made a quick turn and soared back towards him. He didn't have time to dodge the attack and it hit him on the shoulder. Stronghold gave a wince in pain from the hit as it bounced off of his shoulder. He landed on the ground and rolled his shoulder a little bit to lessen the pain. The bone returned to Stan and he caught it in his outstretched hand.

"Nice job, Stan! Now intercept Stronghold with Headbutt!" Kenta said.

Stan dashed at Stronghold after catching the bone in his hand to follow through with Kenta's command. Stronghold was standing behind his beam as a defense again the attack. Stan jumped in the air and dove headfirst at Stronghold. Stronghold grabbed the beam after recovering from the previous attack and raised it to block Stan. The beam shook violently as Stan smashed into it. Stan stumbled back as he tried to regain his senses after becoming dizzy from the hit. While Stan was still dazed, Elliott made her next move.

"Stronghold, use Force Palm!" Elliott shouted.

Stronghold's hand began to glow white as he jumped at Stan. He landed beside Stan and thrust his palm into Stan's side. Stan's face scrunched up in pain and he gave a loud grunt as the wind left his body. The hit sent Stan staggering away from Stronghold, allowing Stronghold to attack again. He jumped at Stan and delivered another strike with Force Palm. This time the hit landed on Stan's mask and sent him to the ground. Stan's mask cracked from the hit and would eventually break if it took more damage.

"Stan, use Bone Club!" Kenta yelled.

Stan clutched his bone tightly and gave a hard swing at Stronghold. The bone smashed into Stronghold's thigh. Stronghold gave a grunt as he sunk to his knees from the numbing attack. Stan used the chance to get to his feet and swing his bone again. This time the bone hit Stronghold across the cheek and forced him back. Stronghold stumbled away and gripped his wooden beam with the intent to block the next strike. As Stan brought down his bone again, Stronghold parried the bone with the beam.

"Stronghold, use Chip Away!" Elliott ordered.

After Stronghold parried Stan's Bone Club attack, he gave a hard shove and forced the smaller Pokémon back. Stan was overpowered by Stronghold's push and lost his balance. He dropped his guard and that was all it took for Stronghold to jump in and attack. Stronghold swung once, twice, three times with the beam and each strike hit Stan with brutal force. Stan's body was aching in pain as each hit left a welt or bruise. Stronghold swung upward with his beam and it collided with Stan's jaw, sending him into the air. Stan's eyes screwed shut in pain as he tried not to lose consciousness.

"Stan, you need to hang in there! You can do it!" Kenta encouraged.

"I don't think so, Kenta! I'm not letting you win this fight!" Elliott shot back. "Stronghold, jump up and use Force Palm!"

Stronghold stabbed his beam into the ground again and jumped on top of it. He sprung high into the air and soared over Stan. His hand began to glow white with power as he readied the attack. When Stand got within range, Stronghold thrust his palm forward. His hand smashed into Stan's chest, sending him to the ground. Stan plummeted into the ground and created a small crater from the impact, kicking up dust and chunks of rock from the landing. Stronghold landed on top of his beam and stared at the hollow in the arena as he waited for Stan to clamber out. Cheers were echoing around the stadium from the crowd as they watched the battle unfold between Elliott and Kenta. Elliott seemed to have the most support at the moment because of her dominance in the fight. Kenta clenched his fists and was beginning to think that he would lose the fight. He was confident in his abilities, but Stan had taken a lot of damage.

_"No, it's not over yet. There's still time to turn this fight around,"_ Kenta thought, looking up at Elliott and Stronghold.

Kenta saw some movement in the hole where Stan fell. Stan crawled out of the hole and swayed a little bit as he tried to keep his balance. The landing left him disoriented and he needed to shake it off before continuing the fight. Across the arena, Elliott observed Stan's posture and could tell he was on his last legs and that made her grin. She had the opportunity to win the match and that's what she intended to do. She snapped her fingers and pointed at Stan.

"Stronghold, use Rock Slide!" Elliott shouted.

Stronghold flipped off of his beam and landed gracefully on the ground. He smashed his fists into the field and it kicked up large chunks of concrete. Stronghold scooped up the concrete rocks in his arms and gave a mighty heave. He sent the rocks hurtling towards Stan and that increased the danger for Stan since he now had little time to evade the projectiles. Stan managed to shake off his dazed state and clutched his bone tightly as he watched the rocks draw nearer. Kenta now had to make a move fast or the match was over.

"Stan, use Bonemerang on the rocks and dodge the others!" Kenta ordered.

Stan brought the bone back and his eyes narrowed in concentration as he watched the rocks. He threw his arm forward and released the bone and sent it towards the large chunks of earth. Everyone looked on in wonder which soon turned to astonishment at what happened next. Stan's Bonemerang attack had churned up so much power from the throw that it created a small whirlwind in the process. The bone was rotating so fast that it managed to intercept some of the rocks in the vortex that it created. The rocks changed direction and began to soar back at Stronghold. Elliott's eyes widened in surprise at the turn of events and she growled since she didn't think that was possible.

"Damn-it, how did he pull that off? That shouldn't be possible!" Elliott hissed.

Although Stan managed to counter part of the attack, he still needed to move in order to avoid getting crushed by the remaining rocks. Using whatever energy he could conjure up, he weaved in between the rocks as they slammed into the ground. While Stan was busy dodging, Stronghold found himself getting ready to do the same thing. When the rocks were upon him, he jumped back to escape harm. He jumped forward when Elliott snapped her finger and his hand glowed white as it coursed with power. He gave a strong thrust and his palm hit the rock, making it disintegrate into pebbles. Stronghold dove to the ground to avoid Stan's bone when it turned around to return to him. The bone grazed the back of his head and made him wince in pain.

"Stronghold, use Chip Away!" Elliott shouted.

Stronghold shook his head to clear his vision from its blurred state and picked his beam up again. He shot at Stan who had jumped in the air to catch his bone. Bringing the beam back, he gave a swing in an attempt to hit Stan. Stan swung his bone and blocked the hit, but that wasn't enough to stop Stronghold. Stronghold waited for Stan to land to continue his assault. When Stan's feet hit the ground, he began to force him around the arena by swinging his beam to try and tire Stan out. Stan was losing energy and his blocks and parries were becoming sloppy with each passing second. Not being able to hold out against Stronghold any longer, Stan fell to his knees in exhaustion and dropped his guard. Stronghold's beam hit Stan on the side of his mask and sent him into the ground from the force.

Stan dropped his bone and his face was scrunched up in pain. His vision was blurred and his hearing was almost obsolete from the skull bashing attack. He dropped his bone when he hit the ground and his hand was desperately searching for it in an attempt to try and continue the fight. Stronghold stepped on Stan's hand to prevent him from grabbing his bone to attack. He brought back his beam to finish Stan off, but Kenta wouldn't let him have the chance.

"Stan, use False Swipe!" Kenta barked.

Stan's free hand swung up at Stronghold and made him step back to dodge the hit. When that happened, Stan's hand snatched his bone and he slashed at Stronghold with the sharp end. The slash connected with Stronghold's stomach and made him fall to his knees in surprise. Stronghold deflected another attack from Stan and countered back with Chip Away once again. Stan's sluggish movements were unable to keep up with Stronghold and he was sent airborne from the hit. He hit the ground with a hard thud and trembled in pain as he struggled to stand up. His ambition to win was the only thing to keep him in the fight right now. While Stan was attempting to stand up, Elliott and Stronghold kept their gaze on him to see if he would be able to continue.

Stan managed to push himself up to his knees. His mask had taken a lot of damage from the hits that Stronghold managed to deal to him and it had shattered a little bit. The front of the mask was now gone, leaving a visible muzzle under the mask. Suddenly, Stan began to glow a dark blue and the stadium fell silent with awe. Eyes were wide and mouths were agape as the crowd began to witness a surprise evolution take place. Stan's body began to shift in shape and started to grow. The blue glow vanished and revealed a new Pokémon where Stan was.

The Pokémon now had a mask similar to Stan's but it now seemed to cover the whole head instead of just the top. It had red eyes with slits where the eyeholes of the mask were located and it was currently holding a new bone that was larger than the one Stan was holding earlier. Kenta's jaw was dropped in awe as he witnessed the evolution of one of his oldest Pokémon. He began to wonder if Stan's willpower had something to do with it.

"Stan, is that you buddy?" Kenta asked, as if he was unsure.

Stan turned back at Kenta and locked eyes with him. He gave a nod in confirmation and a grin made its way across Kenta's face. With Stan's evolution, he may have just secured his position in the final round against Hayley. Barely able to contain the excitement in his voice, Kenta pointed at Stronghold so Stan could deliver some payback.

"Stan, we're going to wrap this up now! Use Bone Club!" Kenta declared.

Stan was already dashing at Stronghold to attack him. Elliott had recovered from her shocked state and ordered Stronghold to fend off Stan's upcoming onslaught. Stronghold raised his beam in order to block and give a surprise strike against Stan. Stan gave a strong strike and his bone smashed into Stronghold's beam with a startling amount of strength. Stronghold managed to deflect the hit and gave a swing with his beam to hit Stan. Stan sidestepped the attack and Kenta saw the opening that he needed.

"Bone Club, now!" Kenta hollered.

Stan flipped over Stronghold and smashed his bone on top of his cranium. Stronghold's body swayed from the dazzling hit and his grip slackened on his beam. Stan landed and turned on his heel to continue his attack. He turned on his heel and slashed with his bone, once, twice, thrice, with the final hit knocking Stronghold off of his feet. Stronghold hit the ground and his beam fell right beside him. Once he showed no signs of movement, the referee called the match.

"Stronghold is unable to battle! The winner is Kenta Hammer of Azalea Town!" The referee announced.

* * *

"Yes!" Kenta cheered, punching the air in victory.

Stan walked back over to Kenta twirling the bone in his hand. Kenta knelt down and gave him a hug. Stan wrapped his free arm around Kenta's shoulder as they shared the moment of triumph together. While Kenta and Stan were celebrating, Elliott recalled Stronghold back to his Pokeball and looked down at the ground. Doubt was crawling back into her mind as she reflected on her goal of becoming an Elite Four member that specialized in fighting-types. She lost another battle and she couldn't understand why.

"How does this keep happening?" Elliott muttered.

"Hey, Elliott, great match!" Kenta said, walking to the center of the arena.

Elliott snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Kenta walking towards her. Swallowing her pride and disappointment, she walked to the center of the field to shake Kenta's hand. Both of them gripped each other's hands tight and shook. The two of them walked off of the field and back to their friends where they were welcomed with tumultuous cheers and grins. Tom, Corey and Eric went over to Kenta and gave him a series of slaps on the back, noogies and fist bumps. Elliott was greeted in a similar fashion by Vanessa, Hayley and Eri which involved supportive shoulder claps and hugs.

"Hey, you did your best," Vanessa said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Remember what I said about taking your losses and learning from them? Reflect on this fight and just prepare yourself for future encounters. The way I saw it is if Stan didn't evolve, the fight was yours."

"I still lost though," Elliott muttered. "I'm tired of losing, Vanessa. How can I be an Elite Four member if I keep on failing in these battles?"

"Well first off if you don't stop being a negative Nancy, that's going to keep happening."

Elliott's face turned pink in embarrassment from the nickname Vanessa gave her. She knew that Vanessa was right, but coming to the realization of losing was something that Elliott hated to do. As a trainer, that was one of her biggest fears aside from not being able to achieve her dream as being an Elite Four member. She knew her Pokémon needed some extra training and that's what she was going to do. The only new approach to her method of training was to train alongside Tom, Corey and Vanessa since they were the strongest in the group.

Hayley turned to glance at Kenta. It was just them now in the tournament and it would be one of them to win it. She had seen Kenta's earlier fights and found that he was quite the exceptional battler. He would be a tough opponent but she had confidence in herself. She would be the one to win the tournament and it would bring her one step closer to her goal of becoming Champion of the Unova League.

Her fingertips grazed the Pokeball containing her last Pokémon that she was using in the tournament. She pulled the Pokeball from her waist and began to toss it up and down, thinking of a strategy to start off the match. The only thing that she was aware of was Kenta's lineup and now she was beginning to wonder who he would use next. She concluded that it would either be his Ponyta or his Jolteon since they had energy after sitting out the past round.

Music echoed around the stadium once again and the crowd's thunderous applause filled the stadium. The final round was about to start and it would be between two strong trainers. While the crowd enjoyed the fights they had seen so far, they now had to choose the trainer they wanted to win to cheer them on. Kenta and Hayley locked eyes and gave each other a nod, bidding each other good luck. Kenta went to the left side and Hayley went to the right side of the battlefield as they waited to be called on by Bob and John.

**"Welcome back to the Nacrene City Battle Tournament here on the Pokémon Battle Network! I'm Bob Houser,"** Bob greeted, turning to John.

**"And I'm John Pederson!"** John announced. **"Well folks, here we are! We've been through four rounds of intense battles and now it's time to wrap this up with our final round!"**

**"The crowd is going wild here, John. I can't blame them either after what we've seen today."**

**"Right you are, Bob. Now I'm curious as to what Pokémon will be used. We've seen all of Kenta's selected Pokémon for the tournament, but Hayley has yet to reveal one of hers."**

**"You're right, John. Either way, this match will still be interesting, so let's get to it!"**

The crowd fell silent as Bob finished up his last sentence. They would now introduce Hayley and Kenta separately to acknowledge them for making it to the final round. The stadium lights dimmed, allowing the darkening night sky to enshroud the arena in darkness. Once the coliseum was dark, John broke the silence.

**"In the right corner we have our young contestant that's proven her worth by displaying knowledge and skill in her battles today. Here's our first finalist, Hayley White!"**

A spotlight beamed down on the right end of the stadium and revealed Hayley as she walked up the stairs to take her position on the field. The crowd burst into cheers and whistles as she continued tossing her Pokeball up and down. She had a large smile on her face and she waved to the audience to show her gratitude for their support. The crowd fell silent again and the lights shut down again. Now it was Kenta's turn to be introduced.

**"In the left corner we have a trainer that's had a great run all day and has pulled off some impressive victories! Give it up for our second finalist, Kenta Hammer!"** John introduced.

A loud click echoed around the stadium as a second spotlight shone on Kenta as he made his way up the stairs to the field. The crowd was cheering his name and giving multiple whistles as well. Kenta beamed and waved at the audience giving winks at various girls that he could make out in the darkness. This action of course caused his friends to roll their eyes at his antics. Kenta came to a stop and pulled out a Pokeball containing his Pokémon for the final match. The audience was now so loud that their cheers sent vibrations through the ground and it was almost impossible to hear the referee start the match.

"Let the final round between Hayley White and Kenta Hammer begin!" The referee announced.

* * *

"Ponyta, here we go!" Kenta said, throwing out his Pokeball.

"Drilbur, come on out!" Hayley yelled, tossing her Pokeball to the center.

The Pokeballs opened and two Pokémon materialized onto the field. In front of Kenta stood Ponyta that he used in the first round and in front of Hayley stood a mole like Pokémon. Kenta decided to make the first move in attempts to take an early lead.

"Ponyta, use Flame Wheel!" Kenta barked.

Ponyta stomped her hooves and started dashing towards Drilbur. As Ponyta advanced, her body became coated in searing flames. She lowered her head to do as she prepared to tackle Drilbur into the ground. Hayley waited for Ponyta to get closer before making her move.

"Drilbur, use Dig!" Hayley said.

Drilbur dove to the ground and burrowed underneath, kicking up rock and dirt. Ponyta shot over the hole and came to a grinding halt as she tried to search for any sign of movement in the ground. Kenta cursed under his breath and knew he would have to be extra careful now. With Drilbur deep underground, he wouldn't be able to locate his position until it was too late. His eyes searched wildly for Drilbur and his anxiety grew in anticipation. Finally, Drilbur burst from the ground and smashed into Ponyta's stomach, lifting her into the air a little bit. Ponyta hit the ground hard and trembled in pain as she stood back up.

"Ponyta, use Ember!" Kenta shouted.

"Drilbur, deflect it with Fury Swipes!" Hayley countered.

Ponyta let loose a small burst of fire towards Drilbur. The small flaming balls dispersed with each slash from Drilbur's claws as they got within range. As Kenta analyzed the situation before him, he knew he would have to come up with some form of combo in order to get a hit on Drilbur. His mind raced and the next move finally came to him.

"Ponyta, use Ember again!" Kenta hollered.

"Drilbur, use Fury Swipes!" Hayley barked back.

Once again, Ponyta unleashed multiple balls of fire at Drilbur to force him to defend. As the flames shot at Drilbur, Kenta made his next move.

"Now use Flame Wheel!" Kenta ordered.

Ponyta bolted at Drilbur again and covered her body in blistering flames. As Drilbur was busy breaking apart the Ember attack, he wasn't fast enough to avoid the Flame Wheel. Drilbur attempted to sidestep the attack, but Ponyta was too quick for him. The searing attack hit Drilbur spot on and sent him airborne from the power. Drilbur's eyes scrunched shut in pain as he tried to block out the burns. He landed on the ground face first, dazing him in the process. Ponyta turned around and scuffed her hoof against the ground as she waited for Drilbur to stand up. Drilbur bared his teeth and pushed himself up gingerly.

"Hang in there, Drilbur!" Hayley encouraged. "Use Hone Claws!"

Drilbur turned around to face Ponyta and presented his razor sharp claws. He began dragging the claws against each other, making a screeching noise that made everyone wince at the cruel sound. Sparks flew off the claws with each pass and they started to look more defined. Kenta decided to change up the field to gain the upper hand against Hayley and Drilbur.

"Ponyta, use Smokescreen!" Kenta shouted.

"Drilbur, standby!" Hayley called out.

Ponyta took a deep breath and exhaled a thick steam of black smoke. The smoke spread across the arena quickly and took away all visibility. Neither Kenta nor Hayley could see their Pokémon, but they each had confidence in them to continue fighting effectively. Hayley knew that she had the advantage at this time with Drilbur being a ground-type. Even though Drilbur wouldn't be able to see Ponyta visually, he would be able to find her through vibrations in the ground.

"Ponyta, use Flame Wheel!" Kenta yelled.

"Drilbur, use Slash!" Hayley shouted.

Ponyta was covered in flames once again and started galloping in the direction Drilbur was. Drilbur could feel the ground pulse with each step Ponyta took and was able to get a clear picture of where she was coming from. He closed his eyes in preparation to attack and waited just for the right moment. Just as Ponyta was upon Drilbur, he jumped to the side and gave a vicious slash with his claws. Drilbur's claws raked across Ponyta's side and Ponyta let out a surprised cry of pain. A large scar took shape on Ponyta's side from the attack. Drilbur tapped his talons together in a taunting manner. Ponyta charged at Drilbur again to try and get revenge.

"Drilbur, use Dig!" Hayley hollered.

Drilbur dove into the ground again and began to tunnel his way around the arena. By this time, the smoke cleared up and a fresh new hole could be seen. Kenta had come up with a way to counter this and had Ponyta go over to the hole.

"Ponyta, weed him out with Smokescreen!" Kenta ordered.

Ponyta sent another blast of thick smoke into the hole that Drilbur created. The smoke coursed through the passageways that Drilbur created and began to exit through the other holes that were in the ground. Hayley's fists clenched at Kenta's strategy and she had to give him credit for the clever trick. The smoke would cut off Drilbur's oxygen and force him to surface for air. Ponyta's head looked down and she knew that Drilbur was going to come up right under her. Kenta picked up on his partner's hunch and went with it.

"Ponyta, use Stomp when Drilbur comes up!" Kenta shouted.

Drilbur burst out of the ground with his claws pointing up. Ponyta's hooves came up and came crashing down on top of Drilbur's head. Drilbur's body seized up from the hard hit and left him open for punishment. Ponyta didn't get away from the brunt of Drilbur's attack and was in some severe pain. Kenta took his chance to hit Drilbur again while he was stunned from Ponyta's Stomp attack.

"Ponyta, use Flame Wheel!" Kenta barked.

Ponyta lowered her head and covered her body in flames. She dashed at Drilbur with impressive speed, smashing into him hard. Drilbur recuperated from the previous attack after getting hit by the Flame Wheel. His feet dug into the ground in attempt to hold his ground against Ponyta. Ponyta proved to be stronger as she forced Drilbur back and sent him into the air from the power. Drilbur hit the ground and rolled back towards Hayley. He flexed his claws as he pushed himself to his feet again. The fight was winding down and would come to an end shortly with the damaging blows that Drilbur and Ponyta were dealing each other.

"Drilbur, get ready. We're going to end this fight with one more blow!" Hayley said.

"Ponyta, let's end this!" Kenta stated.

Drilbur's eyes narrowed at Ponyta as he waited for her to move. Ponyta's stance sank as she prepared to charge at Drilbur for the last time. Kenta snapped his fingers and pointed at Drilbur. Ponyta's body was covered in flames again and she began sprinting at Drilbur with the intent to take him down. Drilbur's stance became one of defense as he pressed his claws together and awaited Hayley's command. Ponyta was gaining ground quickly and then Hayley finally made her move when Ponyta was within ten feet.

"Drilbur, dive and use Slash!" Hayley ordered.

Drilbur did a diving lunge at Ponyta with his talons outstretched. He was upon Ponyta and did a corkscrew maneuver. Both sets of claws slashed Ponyta on the side, causing her attack to stop. Drilbur landed gracefully and took a knee. Both Pokémon stood back to back and the silence in the stadium added to the tension. Seconds went by and finally, Ponyta collapsed to the ground, entering blissful unconsciousness. The referee made the call once Ponyta didn't move.

"Ponyta is unable to battle! The winner of the match and the Nacrene City Battle Tournament is Hayley White!" The referee announced.

* * *

The crowd roared with cheers and applause at the end of the spectacular battle between Kenta and Hayley. Hayley blinked as her mind processed the words of her being the winner. A full blown grin appeared on her face and she gave a triumphant whoop. She ran onto the field and wrapped her arms around Drilbur who happily returned the gesture. Kenta made his way over to Hayley and Drilbur, pulling out Ponyta's Pokeball to return her to it. Ponyta was withdrawn from the arena and secured safely inside the ball. Kenta held out his hand Hayley stood up and shook it.

"Good match, Hayley. You really are a good trainer." Kenta said.

"Thanks, you're an awesome trainer too, Kenta." Hayley replied.

The referee walked up to Kenta and Hayley. He grabbed each of them by the wrist and raised their arms into the air. The crowd was sent into another wave of cheers.

"I would like to present the Nacrene City Battle Tournament winner, Hayley White!" The referee said. "As a prize for her victory, Hayley will receive this complimentary gift containing Pokémon enhancement supplements courtesy of the Poké Mart!"

The referee handed Hayley a large basket filled with battle boosting drugs. She took it and presented it to the audience proudly. Kenta stepped out of the way to allow Hayley's photo to be taken. Hayley gave a wide smile as the photo was taken. Her picture would be hung in the commemoration hall alongside the past winners of the tournament. Once Hayley was done with the photos she followed Kenta down the stairs and over to their friends.

"Nice battle you two!" Eric beamed.

"Thanks, Eric!" Kenta replied.

"Regardless of how far any of us got in the tournament, we all did well," Hayley said, setting down the basket. "So since I won, I want to share this prize with all of you."

"Hayley, you don't need to do that." Tom assured.

"I don't, but I want to. I'm not going to use all of these, so I think it'll be more beneficial for us to split it."

"Whatever floats your boat," Elliott shrugged, taking a handful of supplements.

"Alright, thanks Hayley!" Eri said, reaching for some of the enhancement drugs.

After all of the drugs were distributed, Hayley discarded the basket and slung her bag on her shoulders. She was bidding farewell to each of them and thanking them for allowing her to hang around them for the day. While she was doing that, Tom and Eric were looking at the list that Tom had been adding to throughout the day. They had finished making the final alterations to the list and were doing one final scroll of the names on it. Each name on the list carried the potential that they were looking for. The names on the roster were, Corey Spina, Vanessa Blake, Indigo Galaxia, Raven Castiel, Itzal Fuji, Alondra Hanson, Nova Colvin, Luna Fragula, Trent Phoenix, Dwayne Renbu, Kenta Hammer and Hayley White.

"Tom, Eric, thanks for letting me tag along with you today," Hayley said shaking their hands. "I guess we'll have to hold off on our battle for now, Tommy."

"Yeah, I guess the battle will have to wait. But before you go, would you be willing to stick around for a little bit? Eric and I want to discuss something with a couple of the trainers and you were one of them." Tom replied.

"Sure thing, what is it about?"

"I'll tell you everything when we've got everybody rounded up."

Hayley nodded and stood beside Tom and was shortly accompanied by Corey, Vanessa and Kenta. Eric climbed up to the booth where John and Bob were sitting to make speed up the process. He entered the booth and they greeted him in a jolly manner.

"Hey, Eric! Fantastic battling today!" John greeted.

"Thanks John, I appreciate it. Do you think I can use your microphone for a second? I'm trying to find some people quick." Eric requested.

"Go ahead."

Eric thanked John and picked up the microphone. Clearing his throat, he brought the list up to say each name.

**"Excuse the interruption, but would the following trainers please report to the southern entrance of the stadium. Indigo Galaxia, Raven Castiel, Itzal Fuji, Alondra Hanson, Nova Colvin, Luna Fragula, Dwayne Renbu and Trent Phoenix, please come to the southern entrance of the stadium."** Eric said.

Eric set the microphone down and departed the booth, but not before getting autographs from John and Bob. He tucked his autograph book in his bag and made his way back down towards the field. Tom, Kenta, Hayley, Vanessa and Corey were waiting for his return to go to the designated area. The six of them made their way down the tunnel with Elliott and Eri following close behind. After weaving through crowds in the tunnel, they finally reached their chosen spot. Tom turned to Elliott and Eri.

"Hey, I'm sorry about this guys but I'm going to have to ask you two to leave. This information is only for a select few to hear." Tom said.

"What the hell do you mean? Why can't we stay and listen?" Elliott demanded.

"I agree with Elliott, Tom. Why can't we listen to this?" Eri asked, crossing her arms.

"Look, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but my dad said that this was only to be heard for those that I chose as strong trainers."

"And what the hell are you saying? That I'm not strong enough?"

"To put it blatantly, yes. I'm sorry that this sounds harsh, but you and Eri aren't exactly what we're looking for," Eric said, answering for Tom.

Elliott's face was red with anger. She hated to be told she couldn't do something and that comment alone made her eager to prove Eric and Tom wrong. Eri had an affronted look as well when she heard that. She was a new trainer and was still learning the ropes so she knew she wasn't the strongest. It was just the way that Eric informed her of her inexperience.

"Now that's not fair! Why can't you give us a chance?" Elliott demanded.

"Because I was tasked to find the strongest trainers and I say you're not ready," Tom said, adapting a stern tone.

"Jerk!"

* * *

Elliott stomped off muttering angry curses under her breath. Tom glanced at Eri out of the corner of his eye and could see she was glaring at him too. He sighed and turned his back on her. He was in no mood to fight and what he did was something that he would have to do in the military later. Just because Eri and Elliott were his friends didn't mean he would select them. He had to do his job and this time he had to be the bad guy. Eri wasn't ready, even though she may have had some training from her brother, Tom didn't see her battle enough to get a feel. Tom believed Elliott was a decent battler, but she was still making a lot of small mistakes that would result in her loss. He glanced over his shoulder and could see Eri walking away and Pino was shooting him a harsh glare.

"Hey Sandman, we're ready to go." Eric whispered.

"Do we have full accountability?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, we're all accounted for."

Tom nodded and turned to the trainers that he chose. After confirming Eric's headcount, he motioned for them to take a seat. Eric stood beside Tom with his arms crossed.

"So why did you call us here, Tommy?" Hayley asked.

"Well I did promise to tell you all what this is about, so let's get down to it." Tom replied. "I believe some introductions are in order here, so my friend and I here will introduce ourselves and we'll go around to get a feel for each other quick."

"To break the ice here, I'll go first." Eric said. "My name is Eric Stone, I'm seventeen and I'm here in Unova to try and become Champion before I start my career in the Kanto Navy."

The group all gave some form of response to Eric's introduction. Eric turned to Tom who decided to go next.

"I'm Tom Sandbourne, I'm seventeen and I'm here in Unova to become Champion and search for my older brother. I am here on one last journey before I start my career in the Kanto Army." Tom said.

One by one they introduced themselves. First was Luna who said she was in Unova to compete in the Pokémon League. Next was Indigo who was aiming to be Champion alongside Tom and Eric. Raven went next, and even though he was still in a sour mood after losing to Eric, he did say he was in Unova to become Champion of the Unova League. Up next was Itzal, who proved to be socially awkward, said he was planning on competing in the Unova League after taking on the Battle Subway in Nimbasa City. Alondra was planning on competing in the Pokémon League and she entered the tournament to test her strength. Nova and Dwayne had the same goal of becoming Champion of Unova with Tom, Eric, Raven and Indigo.

Trent was up next and he had a glare fixated on Tom the entire time he gave his introduction. He was in Unova to compete in the Pokémon League and to further strengthen himself as a trainer. Hayley went after Trent and added her goal of becoming the Unova Champion into her introduction as well. Then finally it was down to Kenta, Vanessa and Corey who were both in Unova to continue their journeys and compete in the Unova League, with Corey adding he wanted to become an Elite Four member.

"Well now that we got introductions out of the way, let's get this show on the road." Eric said.

"So what exactly is this about?" Luna asked.

"The reason Eric and I gathered all of you here is because it regards an offer I have for you." Tom answered.

"What's the offer?" Nova asked.

"Basically before this tournament started, my dad contacted me and told me he was looking for strong trainers. He is affiliated with an organization known as PCTU and their job is to track down and capture any criminal organizations like Team Rocket, Team Magma, Team Aqua, you get the idea. He says that they're in need of strong trainers to help track some of these guys down because he believes there is an organization here in Unova known as Team Plasma."

Murmurs broke out in the group. Some of the trainers felt a wave of pride hit them when they were informed that they were the strong trainers that PCTU was looking for. Other members looked passive about the information that was given to them and decided to hear what else had to be said.

"I think I've seen those Team Plasma guys before," Hayley said, cupping her chin in thought. "Did they wear funky uniforms that had a medieval fashion?"

"Yup, that's them." Eric nodded.

"So why is PCTU hunting them down? What have they done so far to cause problems?" Indigo asked.

"PCTU has guys observing them from afar and they've recorded a few instances of them stealing Pokémon from people and releasing them into the wild." Tom replied.

"That's low! What kind of jerks would do that?" Luna said, clenching her fists.

"Well, apparently Team Plasma are those jerks that you're thinking of." Alondra answered.

The talking began to get out of control and Tom and Eric decided to calm the group down. Once the group settled down, Tom and Eric continued their brief.

"Now the reason I gathered you here was to present you with an invitation to meet up with the head members of PCTU in Castelia City. Should you choose to come, we'll let you know when we'll meet up so we can discuss this matter further." Tom said.

"So does this mean we're automatically in to help?" Dwayne asked, looking eager.

"No, you're not in. If you wish to help PCTU out with this, you need to meet up with them in Castelia City. They'll test you personally to see if you are a go or no go for helping them with Team Plasma."

"So that means not all of us will be chosen?" Nova questioned, crossing his arms.

"That's right, so you need to be really good if you want in. That's why they're holding the selection phase to choose from the group of trainers we found to find out who's truly the best." Eric nodded.

"What if we don't want to do this?" Trent challenged.

"Then don't come, Trent. I could care less!" Tom said.

Trent's face began to turn red with anger at Tom's response but he held back his retort.

"That's all we wanted to present you with. If you wish to try the selection phase, write your name and contact number on his paper here." Eric said.

Eric set a notebook on the ground with a pen on top of it. One by one, each of the trainers that were chosen by Tom made signed the paper. To Tom's surprise, Trent even did it. He thought Trent would've declined the invitation in spite of him. Dwayne was the last to sign the paper and Eric took it from him once he finished. Eric tucked the notebook under his arm and looked back up at the group.

"Alright, you're free to go now. We'll send a message to your Xtransreceiver when we've chosen a date to host the selection phase in Castelia City." Tom said.

The trainers all went their separate ways while Kenta, Hayley, Corey and Vanessa stayed behind with Eric and Tom. The six of them were worn out from the long day and were eager to go and get some sleep. If Hayley was right, then Lenora would be back tomorrow and they would be able to challenge her to try and earn their next badge for the Unova League.

"Alright, I'm going to get some dinner and hit the sack, I'm shot," Eric said, giving a stretch as he yawned.

"No kidding," Hayley nodded in agreement.

"Well, I'll see you guys later. Tom, I'll hold on to the contact roster here and we can meet up later so I can give you a copy."

"Sounds good, Stoner. I'll see you later!" Tom said, waving goodbye.

Eric gave a two fingered wave as he trudged off into the night. Once he vanished from sight, Tom turned back to his friends. He began walking towards the hotel that Eri had found for them with Kenta, Vanessa, Corey and Hayley close behind. Tomorrow was a big day and they needed to be well rested to be on top of their game for the upcoming gym battle.

* * *

Elliott was walking back into Nacrene City after going into the woods to blow off some of her frustration. She was still angry with Tom and Eric saying that she wasn't strong enough to help them. She knew she was a strong trainer and her battle record proved it. Sure it wasn't as great as theirs, but she was holding strong with an even win and loss total. Elliott gave another frustrated growl and kicked a can that was lying in the street. The can soared into the air and was swallowed by the darkness of an alley.

"They want a strong trainer? I'll give them a strong trainer!" Elliott muttered, clenching her fists.

Elliott felt Shade's hand pat her on the back. She glanced at her partner and gave him a small smile. Shade smiled back and snuggled back into her bag. Elliott sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. She decided to go get her Pokémon rested up for tomorrow and get some sleep. She gave them a rough burn out training session after being denied access to the meeting Tom and Eric were having with the other trainers of the tournament. As Elliott neared the Pokémon Center, she saw someone standing near the entrance of an alley. Elliott focused her eyes and was able to identify the young man as Trent. By the looks of it, he was talking with someone else.

Curious, Elliott decided to eavesdrop on the conversation he was having. As she got closer to Trent, she was able to hear the tone of his voice. He had a cold and sharp tone to it and it sounded as though he was lecturing someone or something. She stopped near the alley and turned her back towards it so she wouldn't draw Trent's attention.

"You call that battle you had today a fight? That was nothing but pathetic!" Trent sneered.

Elliott's brow furrowed in anger. She was able to confirm that Trent was talking to one of his Pokémon and she could picture the hurt look the Pokémon had on its face.

"Mar…" Magmar replied back.

"I mean you had a type advantage over Sandbourne's Lucario and you couldn't even take it out! We should've won that match and that bet, but you were weak!" Trent spat.

Magmar seemed to mutter another apology but was silenced when Trent slammed his fist on top of a garbage can. The violent action made Elliott flinch in surprise and her fists began to tremble with anger. How could a trainer be that harsh to his own Pokémon when it tried its best?

"To make matters worse, we lost the bet to Sandbourne! We could've beaten him, won the bet and his strongest Pokémon!" Trent growled. "But the thing that makes me so angry is that you made me look like a fool because you're so weak!"

Elliott was now resisting every urge to go and confront Trent and his behavior. She knew it probably wouldn't end well for either of them if she did that. She continued listening to Trent's verbal assault on Magmar.

"I'm warning you right now, Magmar. You either shape up or you're gone! The only way that you'll become stronger than you are now is if you evolve! I have little tolerance for weak Pokémon." Trent said.

By this point, Elliott had enough. Trent was being completely unreasonable and if she had to interfere to stop him from hurting Magmar's feelings any further, then she would do it. Turning around, Elliott swiftly made her way over to the alley and could see Trent's eyes bearing down into Magmar. Magmar's head was hanging dejectedly and he was quivering a little bit.

"Oye!" Elliott shouted.

Trent turned to look at Elliott and Magmar spared a glance up at her as well. Magmar seemed to calm down a little bit now that there was someone else to occupy Trent's attention. Trent glared back at Elliott with his arms crossed.

"What do you want?" Trent asked.

"Well you can start by pulling that stick out of your ass!" Elliott shot back.

"What'd you say?"

"You heard me, jerk! What gives you the right to talk down to your Pokémon like that, huh?"

"Why don't you train your Pokémon your way and I'll train mine my way? Now get out of here."

Elliott glared at Trent and Shade hopped out of her bag. He landed beside Elliott and glared up at Trent. Shade wasn't taking kindly to Trent's behavior either and was hoping that Elliott would let him headbutt him.

"There's a difference in training when you actually care about your Pokémon instead of tearing them apart for trying their best, you selfish insufferable dick!" Elliott shouted.

"There's no difference. My being tough is the way my Pokémon learn and become strong. If you nurture them too much like you and your friends do, they become greedy and lazy and lose sight of what truly matters!" Trent retorted.

Elliott's teeth were bared as her anger was taken to a new level. All Elliott wanted to do now was get under Trent's skin with any comments she could think of. She knew just the ones to say to achieve success in doing so.

"Trent, do you want to know why you failed to defeat Tom and lost that bet you taunted him into doing?" Elliott asked.

"He got lucky with that! That fight was in my favor!" Trent sneered.

"I could say the same for you with your battle against Vanessa."

"Shut-up."

"Oh, it seems I've struck a nerve with you, Trent. Now, to continue with what I was saying. The reason why Tom succeeded in that match against you was because unlike you, he fights for his Pokémon and shows them love and compassion. That's what makes Tom stronger than you and until you can do the same with your Pokémon, you will never win against him."

"Shut-up!"

Trent was now seething with rage. He was already angry with losing to Tom and he was now furious with the way Elliott was saying he would never beat him. Trent's knuckles cracked as his hands formed fists.

"That's a lot of talk coming from the weakest brat of his friends!" Trent spat.

"At least I have friends!" Elliott shot back.

Trent's eyes widened briefly and he fell silent. Elliott swore for a fleeting moment that she saw a hurt look in Trent's eyes. It was as if the thought of friends made him reflect on some past memories. Elliott decided to use Trent's distraction as her cue to leave the premises. She was about to leave, but Trent's voice stopped her again.

"Hold on a minute," Trent said. "I'll tell you what. If you help me evolve Magmar, I'll apologize to him and I think this will help you in return as well."

"What are you talking about? And what makes you think I'll help you? After witnessing what you said to Magmar just a second ago, I really don't want to help you progress in any matter." Elliott replied.

"That Pokémon of yours that you used in your battle against Kenta is what I'm referring to. He evolves into a powerful fighting-type that will no doubt be a key Pokémon for you down the road."

"I know this, but what are you trying to get at?"

"I'm saying that to speed up the process we should do a double trade. The Pokémon we have can only evolve via trade. I have the item I need to make Magmar's evolution happen and I just need someone to trade with to do it. Your Timburr will evolve into Conkeldurr if you do it."

"It would only benefit you at this time since Stronghold hasn't reached his second evolutionary stage yet. So you're out of luck."

Trent's mouth twitched in annoyance at Elliott's attitude. He thought that after her frequent losses that she'd jump up at the first shot of being able to win a lot. He crossed his arms and sighed.

"I'm aware of that. I'm just saying for future reference that if you want to do that I'll be willing to do it because it'll work out in both of our best interests." Trent said.

"Well you'll be waiting for a long time. I wouldn't trade with you to power up your Magmar because you're not satisfied with him. Why don't you take a leaf Tom's book and treat your Pokémon better? Maybe then you'd see a difference in performance from Magmar." Elliott said.

Elliott finished with her statement and was about to leave. She felt a strong wrist close around hers and she turned back to stare into Trent's eyes. His eyes held nothing but rage towards Elliott. She continued looking up at Trent as she waited for him to do something. Her free hand began to tighten into a fist as she prepared to break free from the significantly taller teen.

"Power is all you need, Elliott. I'm telling you to reconsider the option. Don't you want to prove to Sandbourne that you're a strong trainer?" Trent asked.

"What does it matter?" Elliott sneered.

"I'd say it does matter to you. I saw how angry you got when Sandbourne denied you access to our meeting because he didn't believe you were strong."

"He did it because he knows I'm not ready. When I saw all of you I knew I was out of my league because I'm nowhere near your level."

"Why do you defend that kid?"

"Because he's my friend and the advice that he's given me about my Pokémon has helped me improve!"

With that, Elliott stepped into Trent and smashed her fist across his cheek. The surprise attack made Trent stagger to the wall after he released his grip. He nursed his cheek as he glared at Elliott. She gave a satisfied nod and departed the alley with Shade watching Trent until he was out of sight. Trent leaned against the wall and continued staring at the spot where Elliott was moments ago. Her words sunk into his head and he frowned at them. Magmar cautiously made his way over to Trent who returned him to his Pokeball.

_"Friends? What a joke."_ Trent thought.

* * *

**Alright guys, that's the chapter and I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to drop a review and I'll continue to pump out quality chapters. Now like I said, this may be the last update for a while so I hope the update streak these past weeks have been acceptable. So now before I say later, don't forget to read the info under the note here as it partains to some bits with the story. Till next time guys, stay gold. -Captain**

**1.) Character popularity poll. I still have to poll up on my profile page. Be sure to vote if you haven't since I'm closing it after the next chapter.**

**2.) Eric's going to be a secondary character, so I'm going to take some of the characters and make his own group. So far I'm thinking Eric, Dwayne, Nova and Alondra, but we'll see where it goes.**

**Battle Record: W:L:D (Wins, losses, draws)**

**Tom: 5:1:2**

**Corey: 2:1:1**

**Kenta: 5:2:0**

**Elliott: 3:3:0**

**Vanessa: 3:1:0**

**Story Shoutouts: (Contains stories that I recommend my readers to read since they're good. So it's the title of the story and the summary.)**

**"Unova Eclipse: Bringer of Change" by bluemagesfairytail**

**Fey didn't want this to happen. Not again. Now they're seventeen, and brought together again. But this time, instead of Galactic, Plasma lurks, and a traitor surfaces. New faces, new chances, new possibilities. But it's hard to believe one of them has the intent to sabotage them all.**

**"Crossroads" by Cyclone20**

**After losing in the Sinnoh League to Tobias, Ash has returned home to realize that he has come to a crossroads in his life; continue to Unova or stop and get stronger so he doesn't have to feel the pain of defeat again and he can finally become the master that he has been destined to become; AshXAnabel.**

******"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: **

******When there's nowhere left to run, where do you go? When the government is after you and everyone appears to be your enemy, who do you turn to? Not your friends and not your family. After all is said and done, you only have each other and your Pokemon. It's time to step up and steel your courage if you want to survive.**

******"Thieves of Ordia" by FallingSunset**

******Steampunk AU. Ordia: a region full of marvelous inventions and booming with all sorts of Pokemon. Erin begins her journey in the industrious city of Ironstead. Soon she finds out that all is not right in Ordia as thieves have been showing up everywhere, stealing Legendary Pokemon and causing chaos to the world. Can Erin and defeat the league and the thieves?**


	20. Proving Your Worth

**Hey all, Captain here with another update. I hope you all enjoy it since it's Team Plasma focused chapter and if my reviews are right, these are the most interesting ones. So without further delay, let's get to the chapter! I'll save you the author's note for the end of the chapter.**

******Disclaimer: ****Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I own the OCs (Tom, Sparks, Sully, Eric, Roy, Alice, Langdon, Pierce, Clint), this story, and the idea of the story.**

**********Chapter Summary: Pierce is called to an audience by Langdon to speak with Ghetsis and converse with his recent return to the team after being captured by PCTU. Ghetsis makes a decision to test Pierce's loyalty to the team and it is definitely not what Pierce expected. Will he succeed or will he fail?**

**Bold- Message Bulletins/PA System/Plaques/Books**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/ Xtransreceiver Conversations_**

* * *

Pierce continued his walk through the large corridor towards the conference chamber after Liam told him about Ghetsis and Langdon wishing to speak with him. He was not feeling too comfortable with attending the meeting at all because he was sure that Langdon was going to put him on the spot in front of Ghetsis to see if he would crack under the pressure. Pierce pushed that thought out of his head and began to take a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. He turned the corner and his eyes fell upon two large double oak doors at the end of the hall. He strode to the doors and knocked on them upon reaching them to signal his arrival. If Pierce was not nervous earlier, he definitely was now. He felt his heartbeat increased dramatically, his hands began to feel clammy and some sweat began to form on his brow.

"Enter." Ghetsis called from behind the door.

Pierce swallowed nervously as his anxiety grew when he rested his hand on the doorknob. Taking another deep breath, he turned the knob and pushed the door open with a loud creak and strode to the desk on the opposite side of the room. He came to a stop when he reached the desk and stood at attention and awaited the order to stand at ease. He glanced at Langdon and could see his onyx eyes staring right back which immediately made him tense up.

"At ease, Pierce," Ghetsis said, leaning back in his chair.

Pierce folded his hands behind his back and relaxed his stance as he looked Ghetsis in the eyes. He could not detect any hostility in Ghetsis' voice and that helped lesson his anxiety but he still kept his mind sharp just in case Ghetsis would pull a one-eighty.

"Pierce, I have to say I'm impressed to see you here with us after what happened in Striaton City," Ghetsis said, folding his hands.

"I can't say I blame you, sir," Pierce replied. "I guess Melanie and Liam told you and Langdon what happened?"

"Yes they did, after Langdon managed to make Melanie crack from stress. They failed to mention your capture in their report."

Pierce couldn't help but feel betrayed when he heard that. He knew Liam was the main cause for his capture and more than likely the one that told Melanie to lie about his status, but he was a little hurt that Melanie failed to say anything until Langdon pressed the issue on her further. His own partner who he had backed up that entire mission and protected was willing to save her own skin by lying about him.

"I see," Pierce said, biting his lip.

"Now I wish to ask you something, Pierce, and I would like a straight answer from you." Ghetsis continued.

"Go ahead, sir."

"Langdon told me that he found you wandering around our old base and that you somehow managed to escape the Striaton County Prison. So I have to ask you. Why should I believe that you are on our side and not some mole?"

"Honestly, sir, you can't trust me. The only thing that I can say that has any form validity is that I have escaped prison and they have declared me an escaped convict on television. In truth, I don't expect you to believe me."

Ghetsis stared at Pierce and made him shift a little bit from the intimidating silence. He ran Pierce's response through his head and started to contemplate what he should do for his next move. The way he saw it was that he had two options. He could either have Pierce prove his loyalty by doing some tasks and have Langdon supervise him or he could have Langdon deal with him right now. The way he saw it was that Pierce was one of their strongest grunts aside from Liam and if he were to take him out, he would be wasting a useful asset. Coming to his decision, he leaned back in his chair once again.

"Your words are true, Pierce. I don't know what's going on in that head of yours and you could be working against us as we speak," Ghetsis said, closing his eyes.

"What do you wish to do, sir?" Pierce asked.

"Pierce, you're one of our strongest members and disposing of you would be pointless. So this is what I'm going to do. You will remain here with the organization and prove that you're trustworthy by doing missions and tasks I have that need to be accomplished. I will have Langdon keeping a keen eye on you to ensure that you are not working against us. If you are, well, let's pray that you're a good swimmer."

Pierce swallowed at the end of Ghetsis' threat and was now even more nervous that Langdon would be watching him every waking moment of the day which would make it hard for him to give Clint updates on Team Plasma. He glanced at Langdon and could see his onyx black eyes bearing into him. Not wanting to appear distracted with his thoughts, Pierce stood up straight and looked Ghetsis in the eyes.

"Yes, sir," Pierce said, bowing to Ghetsis.

"Good, now I have a job that I believe only you can do." Ghetsis replied.

"What would that be, sir?"

"It concerns your partner, Melanie."

"What about her?"

"Langdon has told me her sob story about why she joined us and her attitude to working with Pokémon. This needs to be rectified."

"So what can I do to help, sir?"

"I want you to battle her and bring out her aggression. She needs to get over her pathetic phobia if she wants to be of use. If she doesn't show any improvement, we'll take her Pokémon and disband her. We have goals to achieve and her fragile state is not what we need to ensure our goals succeed."

"I see."

Pierce lowered his head as his thoughts drifted to Melanie and how she acted towards her Pokémon. From his recollection, he saw how she battled and her skill was mediocre at best. She also lacked confidence in herself because of her second guessing nature and that was another thing that was acting as an anchor to her reaching success. He personally had to help her out so she could have slight success on their missions since she was usually the one that came up with the plan. Pierce scratched the back of his head as he thought about how to approach his task. His best bet was to use Melanie's phobia and passion against her. His stomach churned at the thought of the cruel tactic, but it needed to be done.

"I'll do it, sir," Pierce said, cupping his chin.

"Good," Ghetsis said, opening his eyes. "Go and find her and make your way to the staging area. Inform her of what's going on and then I want you to do whatever it takes to make her start acting."

"Yes, sir!"

Pierce gave a salute and turned on his heel departing the room. The doors closed behind him, leaving Langdon and Ghetsis alone.

"Langdon, why do you believe Pierce is the only one who can break Melanie from her fear?" Ghetsis asked.

"Although she won't admit it, Pierce is her friend. She needs someone she can rely on to set her straight and he's the only one that can do it." Langdon answered.

"Why didn't you have Liam face her, or even yourself?"

"Aside from the fact her Pokémon aren't strong enough to take on me or Liam, she's afraid of us. If I were to face her, chances are she would freeze up before the battle even started. I see it in her eyes. She is afraid of me."

"I see. Now how do you think she'll fair against Pierce?"

"I believe Pierce may play a mind game with her and pull off some reverse psychology."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's what I would do."

* * *

Melanie was sitting in the library reading through one of the many books that she had stacked on the table she was sitting at. She had always hated reading copious amounts of composition and literature, but she only did it to grow out of her childish nature in hopes of advancing in the ranks by creating a pseudo persona to appear more mature and gain respect. The only issue with this was it was not the real her and her conflicting personalities would clash and get her in sticky situations. The most recent example that she could recall was when she was on the latest mission with Pierce when he was captured by the police. She would adapt the personality of a strong and serious leader, but she wouldn't be able to maintain it. Her doubt and second guessing would cause her to fail and mess up a simple task, which in turn, made her look pathetic.

Her hands trembled at the thought of shifting back and forth between personalities. No matter what she tried, she was never able to stick with one and that severely hurt her chances of increasing in rank which she wanted desperately to do. She was broken from her thoughts when she heard dull footsteps echoing around the silent room. She glanced around as she wondered who else was in there with her since she was usually the only one in the library the majority of the time.

The footsteps came to a halt and Melanie glanced up and looked around. In front of her table stood N as he held a book in his hands and looked at it intently. Melanie had only been in N's presence a few times and she had been fond of him. She had heard him speak a few times and she admired his ideals as he preached about wanting to create a peaceful world between Pokémon and humans by eliminating the use of trainers. Deep down, Melanie believed that N had the potential to make his dreams a reality and that made her respect him.

N placed the book down on the table and looked down into Melanie's eyes. She felt her cheeks warm up a little as she looked up and the handsome teen.

"King N, what are you doing in here?" Melanie asked.

"I was just taking a stroll and decided to come here. I haven't been in the library for quite some time and felt as though I could find a good book to read." N replied.

"Ah, I see. Is there a specific book you were looking for? Maybe I can help you find it?"

"Can you now?"

"Yes I can. I've spent countless hours in here reading a lot of books and I'm sure I've read over half of them."

"Well then I guess you can help me."

Melanie nodded and marked her page in the book before closing it and standing up. She walked around the table and stood in front of N as she awaited his request.

"What book are you looking for, sir?" Melanie asked.

"I was looking for a book on Unova's legendary dragons. Do you happen to know where the book about Zekrom and Reshiram is?" N replied.

"I do, sir. If you follow me I can show you where it is."

N nodded and followed Melanie as she led them around the bookshelves. She turned down the aisle at the far end and continued until they reached the center of it. There was a ladder that rose up to the top of the bookshelf and the book that N was looking for was halfway up. Melanie climbed up the ladder and her eyes began scanning the covers as she looked for the book. After seconds of searching, her eyes fell upon a burgundy colored book with the title reading, **"Unova Legends: Reshiram and Zekrom, the Dragons of Truth and Ideals."**

_"What could N possibly want with this? It's a good read, but it's nothing more than a fable."_ Melanie wondered.

"Ah, you found it!" N smiled.

"Yeah, here you go."

Melanie slid down the ladder and handed N the book. He took it from her and thumbed through the pages before giving a nod and snapping it shut. N thanked her and walked away with the book tucked under his arm. Melanie's curiosity got the better of her and she decided to go and ask N what his goal was to reading the book. She hurried after the young king and was able to catch him as he exited the doors of the library. N looked a little confused about her sudden approach and looked down at her.

"Is something wrong?" N asked.

"No, sir, not at all," Melanie panted. "I was just wondering why you wanted to read that book. It's more of a myth than anything."

"Ah, well, it's because the book discusses the story of the two dragons and what each of them represent after being split. Zekrom, the black dragon, represent ideals and Reshiram, the white dragon, represents truth. I feel if I read this book I can gain the knowledge I seek towards my goal of creating a realm of harmony."

"Do you believe that this will help you in your search?"

"I believe it will."

"That's good, sir. I hope you find what you're looking for in that book."

N was about to speak but another voice interrupted the two of them. Melanie turned to her left and saw Pierce walking up to her. She folded her hands behind her back as she avoided her partner's gaze. Pierce stopped a few feet in front of her and folded his arms. He gave a bow towards N as a greeting before returning his focus to Melanie.

"Melanie, grab your Pokémon and get down to the staging area," Pierce said, looking at her.

"What for?" Melanie asked.

"Ghetsis and Langdon tasked me with evaluating you and want me to get you to start battling."

"Pierce, can we do this some other time? I'm a bit busy with other matters."

"I'm sorry, you seem to think you have a choice in this. Get down to the arena, Melanie. Or do you want me to have Langdon come and fetch you?"

Melanie's face turned pale at the mention of Langdon coming to retrieve her against her will. She was not fond of the way Pierce was talking to her, but she understood why he sounded bitter and commanding. This would put off her curiosity about N's dream until later.

"Okay, I'll be right there." Melanie nodded.

Pierce nodded back and retreated back to where he came from. Once Pierce vanished from sight, Melanie turned back to N. He looked a little curious about the conversation that she and Pierce had.

"I'm sorry, sir. I have to go and report to the arena for something." Melanie bowed.

"It's quite alright," N replied, holding up a hand. "What's your name?"

"I'm Melanie, sir. Melanie Rhouth."

"Well, good luck with your evaluation, Melanie. I trust you'll do well."

With that, N turned on his heel and vanished around the corner leaving Melanie alone to her thoughts. Melanie looked at the spot where N was standing and gave a sigh. Her hands balled into fists as she began to grow nervous at the thought of being evaluated.

_"I hope so, N,"_ Melanie thought, marching down the hall to her room. _"I really hope so."_

Melanie had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to detect the other presence that was in the premises. Liam exited the library with a large grin on his face. He relished in the information he heard and was eager to see Melanie tested in a battle. He was still bitter about her caving under Langdon's mind game and ratting him out. Now he was eager to see Melanie get pulverized for a little payback.

_"Let's see how badly you struggle, Melanie,"_ Liam thought, his grin threatening to split his face in two. _"This ought to be one heck of a show!"_

* * *

Pierce's fingertips tapped against his Poké Balls as he waited for Melanie to show up. He started contemplating his strategy to use against Melanie in order to break through to her. His best bet was to be highly aggressive during the fight and hopefully the damage her Pokémon would take would stimulate a reaction out of her. Nodding to himself as he came to a decision, he glanced out of the corner of his eye. He could see Ghetsis and Langdon standing on the balcony observing the field and prepared to carry out his job. Footsteps echoed around the arena as Melanie entered the room and walked to the opposite end of the field. She stopped when she reached her place and turned to face Pierce.

Melanie's stomach had butterflies in it as she pulled out a Poké Ball containing her first Pokémon. Her eyes met Pierce's and she felt intimidated when she saw the cold look he gave her. Her hand subconsciously tightened on the Poké Ball as she waited for the signal to start the battle.

"Alright, Melanie, this will be an elimination battle but we'll end early if one of us has a three to one ratio." Pierce said.

"Oh, okay." Melanie replied.

Pierce threw his ball out into the field and it opened with a loud snap, revealing Kuno standing strong. Melanie's trembling hand threw her ball out and it opened, allowing a Herdier to materialize in front of her. They stared each other down for a moment before Pierce crossed his arms.

"I'll allow you to make the first move, Melanie," Pierce said. "Now don't lose your focus and come at me."

"Herdier, use Take Down!" Melanie ordered

Herdier crouched down and pounced at Kuno. His speed began to pick up as he prepared to do the diving tackle. Pierce watched the attack come closer and closer before finally making his move.

"Kuno, Fire Blast." Pierce said calmly.

Kuno's mouth opened wide and flames began to build up inside it. Taking a deep breath, Kuno released the monstrous star shaped fire attack at Herdier. Pierce watched as he prepared for Melanie to do a form of counterattack, but what he got was something else different. He saw a look of fear appear on Melanie's face as the attack was upon Herdier. It was as if she was lost in thought about a possible memory. The attack engulfed Herdier, earning a loud howl from him as the blistering heat began to eat away at him. Melanie flinched at Herdier's cry of pain and began to tremble as she watched the attack die down.

When the flames diminished, Herdier was lying on his side covered in burns and struggling to get up. Melanie covered her mouth at the sight and felt tears threatening to build in her eyes. Pierce saw her petrified state and decided to pull out his next card.

"What happened, Melanie? Why didn't you attack back?" Pierce demanded.

"I-I froze up! I'm not done yet!" Melanie shouted back.

"Then prove it!"

Melanie flinched again at Pierce's tone and it reminded her of Langdon's a little bit when he was angry. She shook her head and glared back at Pierce as she tried to come up with another move.

"Herdier, use Retaliate!" Melanie barked.

Herdier pushed himself off the ground and lunged at Kuno to score a hit. As he was upon Kuno, Pierce moved again.

"Kuno, dodge and counter with Crunch!" Pierce ordered.

Herdier just narrowly missed Kuno with his attack and landed on the ground gingerly. He whimpered as his burns stung him upon contact with the floor. Kuno crouched down and jumped at Herdier with his jaws wide open. He closed his mouth down on Herdier's back, getting another howl of pain in return as the sharp fangs buried themselves into his back. Herdier went limp as blissful unconsciousness took him. Kuno released Herdier from his mouth and let him fall unceremoniously to the ground. He walked back to Pierce and sat down after receiving a pat on the head.

"How do you expect me to show you my skill if you don't allow me the chance to display it?" Melanie yelled.

"I'm doing you a favor, Melanie," Pierce said, glaring back. "Do you think our enemies are going to allow you to attack them?"

"Obviously not, but at least give me a chance!"

"I did and you failed to react when I had Kuno dodge your attack! Your mental agility is very poor when it comes to battling. Pick up the pace!"

Melanie growled as she returned Herdier to his Poké Ball. She was not fond with the way Pierce was treating her during the battle. It was as if he was trying to get her mad.

"Send out your next Pokémon, Melanie." Pierce instructed.

"Woobat, come on out!" Melanie commanded.

The ball opened and Woobat appeared flapping his wings wildly. Pierce looked at Kuno and nodded back at the field. Getting the message, Kuno gave a bark of acknowledgement and ran back in. His eyes fixated on the small bat as it flew high in the air. Pierce had the advantage over Melanie with Kuno being a Dark-type making him immune to psychic attacks.

"Your move, Melanie," Pierce said, looking back towards the field.

"Woobat, use Calm Mind!" Melanie ordered.

Woobat's eye closed as it began to meditate and gather its power. Pierce nodded at the status boosting move, but he knew it would not matter because the only move that could harm Kuno was Air Slash. He decided to wait for Melanie to make a follow up order before making his move.

"Now use Psychic!" Melanie hollered.

Woobat's eye began to glow blue as he glared at Kuno. The only problem was that Kuno was unaffected by the telekinetic attack. Melanie's expression changed to one of confusion when the attack failed to do anything and looked at Pierce for clarification.

"Kuno won't be affected by Woobat's psychic attacks because he's immune to them being a Dark-type. You should know that, Melanie!" Pierce said.

Pierce snapped his fingers gaining Kuno's attention and pointed at Woobat. Kuno nodded back and looked up at Woobat with the intent to take him down fast.

"Kuno, use Flamethrower!" Pierce yelled.

"Woobat, dodge and use Air Slash!" Melanie countered back.

Kuno unleashed a continuous searing flame at Woobat who dodged swiftly and began to beat his wings wildly. Little sickle shaped blasts of wind soared at Kuno and hit him head on. His face scrunched up as the razor sharp wind cut into him, leaving a stinging sensation. He shook off the attack once it ended and glared up at the smaller Pokémon.

"Kuno, Fire Blast!" Pierce yelled.

"Woobat, dodge the attack and use Air Slash again!" Melanie barked.

Kuno used Fire Blast once again and the large star shaped wall of fire went straight for Woobat. Woobat obeyed Melanie's command and swerved to the left and began to flap his wings at Kuno again. More sharp blasts of wind hit Kuno in rapid succession and made him flinch in pain.

"Kuno, fight through it and use Flamethrower!" Pierce shouted.

Kuno's eyes snapped open in concentration and he looked up at Woobat. He opened his mouth and a blazing spray of fire left Kuno's mouth and shot up through Woobat's Air Slash. The Flamethrower engulfed Woobat in and blocked him from view. Melanie had a horrified look on her face and it was honestly starting to annoy Pierce that she was freezing up and showing no effort to save her Pokémon from taking a hit like that. The attack he used could easily have been dispersed if Melanie's Woobat was stronger with using its moves, but due to Melanie's fear and lack of training it was a given outcome. The fire vanished and Woobat fell to the arena covered in burns. He hit the ground with a dull thump and the arena fell silent once again.

Melanie pulled out Woobat's ball and returned him to it. Her head was hung as the creeping thought of defeat and humiliation began to enter her mind. Her hands balled into fists and she pulled out her next Pokémon.

"Melanie, what's the matter with you?" Pierce called out. "Are you really that pathetic when it comes to your Pokémon that you can't even give them the decency to become stronger?"

"Shut up, Pierce! I do care for my Pokémon! I just don't like seeing them get hurt!" Melanie snapped back.

"If you truly cared for your Pokémon then you'd have them become stronger through battling. I'm currently making mincemeat out of you due to your lack of training! You're truly the thing that's hurting your Pokémon!"

"That's not true! I'm not hurting my Pokémon! Not everything has to be solved through violence!"

"And that's precisely why you cannot bring out your full potential! I mean look at you! You are shaking in the mere presence of your Pokémon! What's the point of having Pokémon if you let your fear rule you?"

Melanie now had fresh tears trickling down her face as Pierce ripped through her with his criticism. She refused to believe that she was the main cause for her Pokémon getting hurt. Deep down, she knew Pierce was right with what he said. Her entire being had been trembling throughout the battle so far and she let her fear prevent her from putting up a good fight.

"I'm currently winning, Melanie. If I take out one more Pokémon of yours without losing one of mine, the match is done. Shape up and fight back!" Pierce yelled.

Melanie reeled her arm back and tossed in her next Pokémon to face Pierce. The ball opened and a large Pokémon took shape and the glow vanished to reveal a Gigalith. The large Rock-type stomped its feet on the ground, making it tremor with power. Pierce gave a whistle and Kuno returned to his side to receive a scratch behind his ears. He returned Kuno to his ball and pulled out a fresh one to release his next Pokémon.

"Let's go!" Pierce declared.

The ball opened and a Swampert emerged from it, giving a loud cry as it prepared for battle. Melanie swallowed nervously as she looked at the Pokémon she had to face next and it didn't boost her confidence that it was a strong one. Pierce shook his head as he saw Melanie cower from the anticipation that built up in her. Just from her body language alone, he knew that she had given up.

"Melanie, make a move!" Pierce yelled.

"Gigalith, use Stone Edge!" Melanie barked.

"Swampert, use Ice Beam!"

Gigalith gave a roar as two rings of sharp stones began to appear around his body. Swampert stood up on his hind legs and readied his arms to break the stones when they reached him. Gigalith launched the rocks at Swampert and watched as they soared towards him. Swampert's mouth opened and began to glow white and just as the stones were upon him, he released a chilling continuous blast of ice. Each of the rocks froze and turned into balls of ice as they fell to the ground and shattered. Melanie watched as her attack failed to meet its mark and balled her fists.

"Swampert, use Earthquake!" Pierce ordered.

Swampert crouched down and then sprung high into the air. He smashed into the ground hard and sent a strong magnitude through the field. The ground from under Gigalith began to crack before finally exploding upward and causing some of the floor to cave in. Gigalith gave a roar of pain from the destructive attack and clambered out of the hole to glare at Swampert.

"Gigalith, use Sandstorm!" Melanie shouted.

"Swampert, use Curse!" Pierce said.

Gigalith gave a loud roar and the wind began to pick up a little bit in the chamber. The powerful gusts kicked up dirt and sand and began to surround the stadium. The small sandstorm the Gigalith whipped up had dropped all visibility to zero. While Gigalith was busy summoning the sandstorm, Swampert began to glow a dark red as he channeled his energy to strengthen his attack and defensive power. Melanie decided to use the cover of the sandstorm to use her next attack.

"Gigalith, use Power Gem!" Melanie ordered.

"Swampert, counter back with Surf!" Pierce yelled.

Gigalith heard Melanie's order and began to form large rocks that were glowing white with power. The rocks finished forming and shot forth at Swampert in the whirlwind of dust and sand and collided with Swampert. Swampert grit his teeth as the attack hit him and shook it off as it finished. Now it was his turn to dish out some payback on Gigalith for hitting him. He stood on his hind legs again and held out his arms to gather all the moisture that was in the air. Swampert bounded in Gigalith's direction and jumped up in the air just as a large wave of water appeared under him. Swampert glided towards Gigalith and crashed into him headfirst with the water slamming into him full force. Gigalith gave a loud cry of pain again as he sunk to his knees.

Swampert bounded back to his end of the field and waited for Gigalith to get back up and attack. The sandstorm finally subsided to reveal Gigalith trying to stand up after being soaked to the core with Swampert's devastating attack. Pierce looked at Melanie to see how she was holding up but there was no visible change from last time. He sighed as he was now down to his last card to play and if this one did not work, he would not be able to help Melanie.

"Melanie, how much do you care for your Pokémon?" Pierce asked.

"I care for them deeply," Melanie replied, looking at Pierce.

"Then why is it you've failed in keeping them safe in this battle? I've given you ample amounts of tries to fight back and take me out, but you didn't."

"I can't stand them getting hurt!"

"Pokémon get hurt all the time! Both Pokémon that belong to a trainer and those in the wild! What makes that so different?"

"Trainers are barbaric animals that get pleasure at pitting Pokémon against each other for entertainment! I can't stand seeing that and that's why I want to make trainers vanish off the face of the earth!"

"Then why is it the Pokémon don't leave the trainer if they are being abused as you say?"

Melanie opened her mouth and then closed it. She had been anticipating a question like that, but now she was not sure how to answer it. Her first thought was that they had been brainwashed through capture, but that alone sounded preposterous. She lowered her head as she failed to come up with an answer.

"That's what I thought. You have nothing to support your belief and it just makes you look foolish." Pierce sighed.

"I do have something to support my view!" Melanie snapped back.

"Enough talk! I'm going to give you three seconds to pull yourself together and attack Swampert! If you fail to do that, I'll attack Gigalith and end this battle now!"

"Pierce, why are you doing this?"

"One!"

"Pierce, please stop!"

"Two!"

"Stop!"

"If you won't attack then I will! Swampert, use Ice Beam!"

Swampert opened his mouth and a blue and white ball of frigid power began to form in it. When the power finished storing, the beam of ice shot at Gigalith and smashed into him. Gigalith gave a loud roar of pain as the ice began to cover him and encase him inside of it. Swampert ended the attack and Gigalith's legs collapsed out from under him.

Melanie fell to her knees and tears began to trickle out of her eyes. Pierce returned Swampert to his ball and tucked it away on his belt. He crossed his arms and sighed in defeat. He had failed to get Melanie to act and because of that, she would be kicked out. He glanced up at the balcony where Ghetsis and Langdon were located to see what they thought of the fight. Both of them looked indifferent and Pierce was positive that they expected the outcome to end with him as the victor. He sighed and tucked his hands in his pockets as he walked out of the arena.

Ghetsis watched as Pierce departed the room and then turned his gaze to Melanie who returned Gigalith to his Pokeball. He turned back to Langdon and nodded before departing the room. Langdon looked down at Melanie and crossed his arms as he thought of what to do with her. He felt that she had potential to be decent, but he just had to find a way to bring it out of her. Pierce attempted to try and he had no success, but Langdon felt he knew what needed to be done in order to get her to act. He turned on his heel to leave the room but came face to face with Liam.

"What are you doing here?" Langdon asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Aw, you need to lighten up there big guy. Maybe some friends will do you good." Liam grinned.

"Well if that's the game you want to play, then fine."

Langdon walked past Liam and ignored the taunt that Liam baited him with. He was not going to allow an inferior kid get under his skin that easily. Liam sighed when Langdon didn't snap back at him for being a smart-ass and peered over the balcony down at Melanie. She had not moved from her spot and he heard her sobbing. A grin worked its way across his face as he watched Melanie suffer and break down in front of him it filled him with satisfaction to see her in this state after she ruined his plan from earlier.

_"Ah, those sweet tears of failure are so satisfying."_ Liam smirked.

* * *

The girl moved to the top of the hill that overlooked the city and looked down at it. Her goal was to take all the Pokémon that she could and return to her hideout. The girl looked no older than seventeen. She had long sea foam green hair that was worn in a high ponytail. Her eyes were navy blue and looked more defined under the contacts that she was wearing. She stood around five foot five with an average figure and pale complexion. She was garbed in a black uniform consisting of a skirt, shirt and boots that was hidden under her long black trench coat.

A hiss came from her side as a purple snake Pokémon wrapped around her ankle. The girl looked down and smirked at her companion.

"We're here, Ekans. Tomorrow we'll get to work." The girl said.

* * *

**Alright folks, that's the chapter! I had the time to write it since Wisconsin's been having weather that has, in turn, had my classes canceled/delayed all week because of the snow and single digit temperatures "It's freaking freezing up here!" I had the luxury of getting into a car accident because of snow and ice, thankfully I'm in one piece and I wasn't held responsible since there was minimal damage and I'm just awesome at driving in general. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and that you will give me your thoughts about it via review. Just below here I have the usual announcements and story shoutouts. Till next time guys. Later.- Captain**

**Announcements:**

**1.) I have a new SYOC up for the Pokemon category that is about the special forces. Drop in, give a read and if you want to submit a character, look at the rules at the bottom of the first chapter.**

**2.) Character popularity poll. It's still up and going and I'm going to close it after the next chapter is posted, so get in and vote if you haven't done so already. **

**3.) Pokemon X and Y. I meant to bring this up last chapter. What are your thoughts on it and what starter looks the most appealing to you? Knowing me, I'm probably going with Chespin, but Fenniken looks like a possible go as well.**

**Story Shoutouts: (Contains stories that I recommend my readers to read since they're good. So it's the title of the story and the summary.)**

**"Unova Eclipse: Bringer of Change" by bluemagesfairytail**

**Fey didn't want this to happen. Not again. Now they're seventeen, and brought together again. But this time, instead of Galactic, Plasma lurks, and a traitor surfaces. New faces, new chances, new possibilities. But it's hard to believe one of them has the intent to sabotage them all.**

**"Crossroads" by Cyclone20**

**After losing in the Sinnoh League to Tobias, Ash has returned home to realize that he has come to a crossroads in his life; continue to Unova or stop and get stronger so he doesn't have to feel the pain of defeat again and he can finally become the master that he has been destined to become; AshXAnabel.**

******"Time of Courage" by FiammaJoule: **

******When there's nowhere left to run, where do you go? When the government is after you and everyone appears to be your enemy, who do you turn to? Not your friends and not your family. After all is said and done, you only have each other and your Pokemon. It's time to step up and steel your courage if you want to survive.**

******"Thieves of Ordia" by FallingSunset**

******Steampunk AU. Ordia: a region full of marvelous inventions and booming with all sorts of Pokemon. Erin begins her journey in the industrious city of Ironstead. Soon she finds out that all is not right in Ordia as thieves have been showing up everywhere, stealing Legendary Pokemon and causing chaos to the world. Can Erin and defeat the league and the thieves?**


	21. Bad Guys Galore!

**Hey everybody, I'm finally back with an update for Rise to the Challenge. If you've been wondering why it's taken my over two months to update, it's because I wanted to take a break. I felt as though pumping out chapters quickly made people say less and less in reviews so I felt that everyone could use a break. Now I'm back with a long chapter for an update that introduces a new OC and I hope you all enjoy it. Stay tuned for the author's note for story shoutouts and the usual.**

**********Disclaimer: ****Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I own the OCs (Tom, Sparks, Sully, Eric, Roy, Alice, Langdon, Pierce, Clint), this story, and the idea of the story.**

**Chapter Summary: The gang prepares to face Lenora for their second badge to the Unova League gym run but an unexpected turn of events put a hold on their goal.**

**Bold- Message Bulletins/PA System/Plaques/Books**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/ Xtransreceiver Conversations_**

* * *

Tom, Elliott, Corey, Vanessa and Kenta had all gotten up early to get an early breakfast and warm up for their gym battle against Lenora who would be back at the gym later in the day. All five of them were pumped up and eager to get the next badge that was their stepping stone to the Unova League entry. They were sitting in the dining hall of the hotel and munching away at whatever was on their plate. Sparks had taken the liberty of stealing the bacon platter and devouring all of the strips that were on it, much to everyone's dislike.

"Sparks, quit being a turd and stop eating all the food," Tom said flicking him on the head.

"Rai!" Sparks whined back.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to do a full sweep against Lenora," Corey said with a cocky smirk.

"You seem pretty confident," Vanessa noted as she sipped her juice.

"Well, I'm the strongest one of our group here, so it's the only logical answer."

Surprisingly, Tom didn't counter back to Corey's statement as he heard it. Shrugging to himself, Corey took another bite of his scrambled eggs.

"Hey Elliott, are you okay?" Kenta asked as he looked at her.

"I'm fine," Elliott replied glancing at him, "why?"'

"You just seemed a little out of it."

"I'm fine, Kenta. I was just thinking who I should use against Lenora. I know all of my Pokémon have a type advantage over her so I'm just trying to think about who to start with."

"Ah, I see. Well, you know what? I really don't think it'll matter because all of your Pokémon are strong. You can do this, Elliott."

Elliott looked at Kenta when he told her about his opinion on how she should approach her battle against Lenora. She already felt confident before telling Kenta about her thoughts, but now with his encouraging words', she felt as though she could not lose. Kenta had displayed his confidence in her abilities which is what all of her friends have done, but for some reason it made her feel better when it came from him. Her face reddened a little bit and she looked down so he wouldn't see the blush.

"Thank you, Kenta," Elliott said with a smile.

"What was that, honey?" Kenta asked leaning on his arm and beaming broadly at her.

"We're having a moment you idiot. Don't ruin it."

Kenta chuckled and shook his head at Elliott's response. The group was joined a few minutes later by Eric who sat down beside Tom and pulled out the contact roster that they made the night before. Tom swallowed the food in his mouth and pulled out a pencil and paper to copy down everyone's information.

"Why don't you guys go on ahead?" Tom suggested looking at Corey. "I'll catch up after I'm done with this."

"Sounds good," Corey replied as he got up, "alright guys, let's go!"

Corey led the group out of the dining hall and did a quick headcount to be sure that everyone was currently with him. Once he confirmed that the group was present he led them out the front doors and to the gym.

* * *

The Pokémon Center was bustling with trainers even though it was early in the morning. Some of them were packing up preparing to leave to their next destination now that the battle tournament was done with. A lot of trainers decided to have their Pokémon at full recovery before leaving. Unknowing to most of the trainers and the staff of the Pokémon Center, a lone criminal was getting ready to conduct the heist on the Pokémon Center. Tessa Hyslop was standing just outside the front doors and was mentally going down the checklist she had set up to pull off her devious scheme. Once she confirmed she had, a smirk spread across her face as she looked down at the Ekans around her leg.

"Let's get to work, Ekans," Tessa cackled as she walked towards the front entrance.

Ekans gave a hiss as a response as he slithered behind her. She was drawing the attention of some people, mainly boys because of her beautiful looks. Those that didn't notice her because of her looks were mainly looking at her outfit which consisted of a black trench coat, black skirt, shirt and boots. Tessa made a mental note that they may be suspicious of her because of the outfit and already had her contingency plan ready to go if her plan should falter. She entered the Pokémon Center and made her way to the center of the room. She knew that there was a room that contained the Poké Balls of other trainers down the hall behind the reception area and that's where she planned to go. If she could steal more Pokémon, the better off Team Rocket would be once they started to reform.

Tessa's fingers grazed the small smoke bomb that was in her pocket and she gave a quick look around. She glanced down at Ekans and saw that he was ready to start the plan. She activated the smoke bomb and dropped it inside a flower pot before continuing her stride to the desk. Just as she reached the desk a loud bang echoed around the lobby and smoke began to fill it up quickly. Panicked screams filled the building and the sprinkler system was activated, making everyone in the premises run to the door.

"Please make your way to the doors in a calm and organized manner!" A nurse yelled over the screams.

Tessa smirked as she managed to slip into the hallway unnoticed and she made her way down each room searching for the Poké Balls. She came to the last door at the end of the hall and checked her surroundings for any people. When finding no one, Tessa opened the door and entered the room, turning on the light in the process. The light illuminated the room and revealed multiple shelves of Poké Balls, waiting to be snatched. She clapped her hands together and pulled out a large garbage bag from her pocket and opened it up.

"Come to mommy, my pretties," Tessa said in a melodic tone.

Tessa was so preoccupied with stuffing the bag with Poké Balls that she failed to detect the presence behind her. Not everyone had bailed out of the Pokémon Center when she detonated the smoke bomb and it would prove to be a little tricky for her to escape. Eri entered the Pokémon Center the minute the smoke bomb went off in the lobby and she noticed the one person that looked calm about the whole situation and followed her to the back.

_"What kind of scumbag is she?"_ Eri thought as she stepped in the doorway.

Eri's entrance garnered the attention of the girl's Ekans and it turned around and hissed at her menacingly. Tessa heard the hiss and turned around to see Eri glaring at her with her arms crossed. She cursed under her breath at being caught and now had to escape as quick as she could before any authorities showed up. She tied the garbage bag shut and slung it over her shoulder before returning Eri's stare.

"What do you want?" Tessa asked looking at her.

"What do you think you're doing stealing all of those Pokémon?" Eri demanded.

"I'm stealing them to help rebuild my team."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Tessa's eyes narrowed at the girl before her and she knew that she would have to fight her way out. She looked down at Ekans and gave a nod to inform him of the upcoming fight. She thumbed a smoke bomb that was in her pocket and prepared to initiate her plan. Eri threw a Poke Ball and summoned Pino in front of her. The small Oshawott adapted an aggressive look on his face as he glared at Ekans and Tessa.

"Oh goody! You brought me another Pokémon to steal!" Tessa said with a large grin.

"Not a chance!" Eri replied.

"Ekans, be a dear and use Wrap."

Ekans gave a hiss and slithered over to Pino with surprising speed. Eri and Pino watched as Ekans got closer and closer until he got within striking distance. Finally, Eri made her move. She decided to implement some of Kenta's and Tom's tactics with her in this battle.

"Pino, dodge and use Tackle!" Eri ordered.

Pino sidestepped Ekans and jumped at him with his head bent down. His body collided hard with Ekans and earned an annoyed hiss in response. As Pino tried to jump away, Ekans lunged at him and managed to wrap his body around Pino. Pino's teeth clenched with discomfort as his body was being constricted by Wrap. He tried to struggle free but to no avail.

"Now use Leer and follow up with Poison Sting!" Tessa yelled.

Ekans' eyes glowed an ominous red and Pino froze in fear as he looked into them. While Pino was frozen in fear, Ekans continued his attack by having the tip of his tail glow purple. In one swift move, it struck Pino in the back and he went rigid as the toxins flowed into his system. Now Eri knew she was in trouble with Pino being incapacitated from the damage and the continuous constriction.

"Pino, snap out of it! Get out of there!" Eri hollered.

"This has been fun, but it's time for me to get out of here," Tessa said as she plucked another smoke bomb out.

Tessa activated the smoke bomb and tossed it to Eri and it exploded in a large bang. Smoke began to fill the room and the blast of bomb replaced Eri's hearing with a ringing sensation. She covered her ears and fell to the floor as she lost her balance and writhed in pain. The thick smoke made her cough but she fought through it as she searched for Tessa and Pino.

"Coward!" Eri yelled.

Another boom filled the area and Eri felt a blast of air hit her. Tessa had used a small explosive on the wall and blew a hole in the wall to break out. The sprinklers activated and began to spray water into the room, soaking Eri to the core. Eri stood up gingerly and managed to get a glimpse of the light through the smoke and ran towards it.

"I won't let you get away!" Eri hissed, "hang on, Pino. I'm coming!"

Eri burst from the hole in the wall and her eyes darted around wildly for the thief that stole Pino from her. She could see the girl's seafoam green hair running down the street and gave chase to her. Eri never remembered running so fast in her life, but her determination to catch the perpetrator was more than enough fuel to keep up her pursuit.

* * *

Meanwhile with Tom, Corey, Elliott, Vanessa and Corey, they were currently standing outside the museum that was also the gym of Nacrene City. After checking to make sure they were ready to go, Tom began to lead them inside after giving them a smile.

"Let's make it happen, guys!" Tom said as he looked back at them.

"Hey, wait up!" Hayley yelled as she came running up to them.

Hayley stopped and panted as she tried to catch her breath from the run. She beamed up at her friends and spun a Poké Ball on her fingertip. The grin on her face grew as she saw her friends mimic her movement.

"I still have to battle Lenora yet. So I think I'll watch and see how you all do," Hayley said.

"The more the merrier!" Kenta replied with a smile.

The six of them started to walk inside but stopped when a teenager with long green hair exited the museum. He bumped into Tom and looked up in surprise. His surprised look turned into a friendly one as he looked at Tom.

"Well, it's certainly been a while, Tom," N greeted as he looked at him. "You're looking well yourself, Hayley."

"What's up, N?" Tom greeted with a nod.

"Hello, N," Hayley greeted with a smile as she looked at him.

Not wanting to be excluded from the conversation, Corey cleared his throat to gain their attention. Tom, Hayley and N turned to him and the rest of the group.

"Bro, are you going to introduce us?" Corey asked with a smirk.

"Oh, sorry," Tom replied looking back to N. "N, I would like you to meet my friends, Corey, Elliott, Kenta and Vanessa."

N looked at the four teens that Tom addressed and gave them a friendly smile and wave. Corey and Kenta smirked and nodded at him. Elliott crossed her arms and gave a grunt as a greeting as she looked him up and down. Vanessa extended her hand and shook his with a friendly smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," N said. "So what are you all doing?"

"We're all about to compete for our next badge to enter the Unova League," Kenta said with excitement.

N's happy look was replaced with one of curiosity as he folded his arms. His eyes scanned each of the trainers once again and he saw the Poké Balls dangling from their waists. N's thoughtful expression caught the attention of Vanessa and she called him out on it.

"Is something wrong, N?" Vanessa asked.

"I wouldn't say anything's wrong, but I am curious about something," N replied as he looked at her.

"What would that be?"

"Are all of you Pokémon trainers?"

"Yeah, we are."

"I see. I must ask you though. Do you think Pokémon are happy that way?"

"What are you talking about?" Elliott asked.

"I'm asking if you believe that Pokémon are happy after they are confined in those Poké Balls on your hips," N said as he pointed to the capsules.

"Why wouldn't they be?"

N was about to reply but was stopped when Tom and Hayley took a step towards him.

"Look, N, as nice as it is to see you again, can't this wait until later?" Hayley interrupted.

"Why must this wait? Are you in a hurry?" N asked.

"We want to battle Lenora to earn our badges, dude," Tom said as he scratched Sparks' head.

"Very well, I'll let you go if you honor my request. I want to hear the voices of your Pokémon again," N said as he pulled out a Poké Ball. "Surely they may have changed since our last encounter?"

"Fine," Tom said back as he looked at Sparks.

"Count me in!" Corey smirked as he walked up.

"I'm sorry, but I don't wish to battle with you. I want to battle with Tom and Hayley," N replied looking at Corey.

Corey looked affronted at N's response and he crossed his arms as he looked back at him. He wanted a chance to battle the new trainer and was not too thrilled at being denied.

"Why won't you give any of us a chance?" Corey asked.

"I only have a limited amount of Pokémon and I want to battle Tom and Hayley," N said with his tone adapting a more irritated tone. "Their Pokémon interest me and I wish to hear their voices again."

"Well at least give us a chance…"

"Corey, take Kenta, Elliott and Vanessa and go battle Lenora," Tom said with a stare.

"But…"

"Just do it. This battle is between me, Hayley and N. We'll be in to face Lenora shortly."

Corey closed his mouth and sent a glare at Tom who stared back at him. He gave a frustrated sigh and motioned for Kenta, Elliott and Vanessa to follow him into the museum. N, Hayley and Tom watched as they vanished into the building and out of sight before returning their focus to the battle about to take place. Hayley sent a friendly smile at Tom who returned it as she pulled out a Poké Ball.

"I wish to battle both of you, so switch out after one of the Pokémon are taken out of the fight," N said.

"Sounds fair to me," Hayley said as she tossed her ball into the air. "Come on out, Pignite!"

Pignite materialized in front of Hayley and a flare shot out of his nose as he looked at N. N looked excited to see that Pignite evolved from Tepig since his last battle with Hayley.

"Interesting," N said with a nod as he released his Poke Ball. "Let's hear your Pokémon's voices again, Hayley!"

* * *

Eri had chased the culprit to the corner of town and was starting to gain on her to take Pino back and help the Pokémon that were stolen. The girl rounded another corner and Eri hurried after her, desperate to catch her from escaping. When Eri turned the corner, she crashed into a solid mass and was knocked back. She winced and looked up at the thing that she crashed into and was surprised to see Eric looking down at her. He looked a little surprised to see her as well and helped her up.

"Are you okay, Eri? I didn't hurt you did I?" Eric asked.

"I'm fine, but I need you to move!" Eri said hurriedly as she tried to get around him.

Eric stopped her in her tracks.

"Whoa, whoa, you're going a mile a minute. What happened?" Eric said.

"That girl with green hair stole a bunch of Pokémon including my Oshawott!" Eri snapped.

"Well why didn't you say something? Let's go!"

Eric let go of Eri's shoulder and sprinted in the direction of the girl that he saw earlier. Eri clutched her chest as she suppressed a stitch and tried to talk to Eric.

"I don't need your help, Eric," Eri gasped out, "I can take care of her without a problem!"

"Then how did she get your Oshawott?"

Eri flinched at Eric's tone and glanced at the ground. Eric felt a little guilty with the way he responded to Eri, but he had a point. If Eri couldn't stop the girl from taking her Oshawott then she would need some help.

"Look, let me help you," Eric said as he slowed down a little bit. "I can probably take her down easily and get your Oshawott back."

"Fine, I'll let you help me, but I want to battle her to take Pino back!" Eri replied.

Eric didn't reply back but she figured that he would follow through with her request. She hated asking for help as it made her feel weak and hopeless and that was something she despised with a passion. The two trainers were now standing in the field where they chased the thief and started to look around for her. Eri saw a head bob up in the tall grass and could see long green hair which made her take off in that direction. Eric chased after Eri to give her back up which he was sure she would need.

Bursting through the grass and into the clearing, Eri's face became one of anger and she glared at the girl who stole Pino from her. She pointed a shaking finger at the girl and tried to calmly give her warning.

"You'd better give back my Oshawott or you'll be sorry," Eri said shakily.

"Yeah? What'll happen if I don't?" Tessa challenged.

"I'll take him back from you myself."

"Look pixie, you couldn't even touch me back at the Pokémon Center, so I suggest you back off and let me be on my merry way."

"Give him back!"

Eri was about to take a stop forward but was stopped when Eric placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She glared back at him but saw a serious look on his face that told her not to talk back.

"Eri, let me take care of her. Your anger is getting the better of you and it'll do more harm than good," Eric said as he stared down at her.

"I am more than capable than getting Pino back!" Eri snapped.

"Not in the emotional state you're in. Sit back and let me take care of this clown."

"But…"

Another firm squeeze on her shoulder made her stop speaking. She knew that Eric's decision was final and there was no way he would back down with stopping her. A frustrated sigh escaped Eri's lips and she put her hands on her hips in an attempt to calm down. Once Eric felt that Eri was calm enough, he took his hand off her shoulder and got in front of Eri and lightly touched the Poké Ball on his hip to prepare for the coming battle. He leveled the girl with a glare and could see that she a somewhat serious look in her eye.

"Listen, I think it would be in the best interest for you to return the Pokémon you stole," Eric began as he grabbed the Poké Ball on his waist, "this will only end with a humiliating defeat for you."

"Man, both of you are just arrogant," Tessa said with a haughty laugh, "if you're so eager to stop me, then try and do so."

"You've just made a big mistake."

Eric enlarged his Poké Ball from its miniature state and tossed it high in the air. Tessa looked at the ball that was thrown and was getting prepared to steal the Pokémon that it released. Before the ball opened, Eric gave his summoning command.

"Let's make them holler!" Eric said as his eyes peeked at Tessa from under his hat.

The ball opened and a large Pokémon began to materialize in front of him. When the shape stopped forming, the glow vanished and in its place stood a Garchomp. The pseudo-legendary looked down at Tessa and gave a vicious snarl as he sensed the intent she had. Garchomp's appearance made Tessa's smirk falter to one of nervousness. Eric saw this and decided to rile her up some more.

"What's the matter? You're not scared are you?" Eric taunted as he glared at her.

"No, don't be stupid!" Tessa shot back.

"Now you're getting defensive. So this tells me that I'm right with the fact you're scared."

"Shut-up!"

"Make me."

"Ekans, attack with Poison Sting!"

Ekans hissed and slithered towards Garchomp with his mouth open. Sharp purple darts began shooting out of Ekans mouth and soared at Garchomp with impressive speed. Eric stayed calm and made his next move.

"Garchomp, use Flamethrower to counter!"

Garchomp's mouth opened and a continuous stream of blistering flames went shooting from his mouth and engulfed the toxic darts, destroying them. The fire continued towards Ekans who needed to move in order to avoid taking damage.

"Ekans, dodge it!" Tessa yelled.

Ekans swerved away and crouched low in the grass to creep up on Garchomp. Eric saw the grass move as Ekans slithered through it towards Garchomp to get the jump on him. He came up with his strategy to win the fight right then and got ready to execute it.

"Garchomp, let's take these clowns down," Eric said as he turned his hat backwards, "start by using Sandstorm!"

Garchomp gave a loud roar and a massive dust cloud rose from the ground and started to swirl around violently. The dust storm concealed everything on the battle field but Eric knew Garchomp would pull the attack off perfectly with the skill that he had. Ekans came to a grinding halt as he searched around for the large dragon. He also waited for Tessa's next order but she had yet to say anything.

"Garchomp, use Dig!" Eric barked.

The ground gave a light tremor as Garchomp dove into the ground and tunneled his way deep down. Tessa clenched her fists and was contemplating abandoning the fight and escaping with using another smoke bomb but had the feeling she wouldn't get far.

_"This guy is out of my league. I need to find a way out of this!"_ Tessa thought.

Garchomp burst through the ground from under Ekans and sent him high above the dust cloud. Ekans' face was scrunched up in severe pain from the type disadvantage he had again Garchomp as he plummeted back to the ground. He hit the ground with a loud thump and struggled to sit upright. Garchomp got ready to end the fight by attack once again but stopped when Eric held up a hand. He nodded back at his master and sunk back in a fixed stance as he prepared to fight back.

"I'll give you one last chance to save yourself problems and let you go if you surrender and give back the Pokémon you stole," Eric said as he tried to bargain with Tessa.

"What happens if I don't?" Tessa challenged.

"Well, I'm being a fair man right now. If you wish to try fleeing or attack, I'll have Garchomp here do whatever he wants to you as an act of judgment."

"You're bluffing."

"I see that you've made your choice, so now I've made mine. Garchomp, use Dragon Claw on Ekans!"

Garchomp lunged at Ekans with both of his claws glowing a dark green. He gave two quick and ferocious slashes, each one raking across Ekans and earning a loud hiss of pain from the snake Pokémon. Ekans gave another hiss and fell to the ground defeated. Tessa was silent and recalled Ekans back to his Poké Ball with a scowl.

"You should have taken my offer to surrender," Eric said as he crossed his arms.

"Shut-up," Tessa hissed as she glared at him.

Tessa glanced at Eri and saw a triumphant grin on her face. She looked at the Oshawott she stole from her earlier that was bound by rope and picked him up. She gave a toss and Pino went high into the air to be caught by Eri who quickly untied him. While Eri was busy comforting Pino and checking on his poisoned state, Eric walked forward with Garchomp beside him. Tessa stepped back and touched the last smoke bomb on her belt while she held the bag of Pokémon she stole with her other hand.

"Now don't do anything stupid," Eric said as he glared at Tessa, "if you try running, you won't get anywhere."

"Oh yeah? What makes you think that?" Tessa asked.

"Look, I know you've got something in your pocket that you will try to use to escape."

"Nice to see you've got street smarts."

"Just let the Pokémon go and I'll let you go freely. If you try running with them, I'll use force to take you down. It's your call."

Tessa looked into Eric's eyes and could see that he spoke with confidence and knew right then and there that he would back up his statement. She didn't want to risk injury or getting captured by the police so she did the only logical thing to escape. She dropped the bag of Poké Balls and dropped the smoke bomb at the same time. A loud bang echoed around the clearing and a thick cloud of smoke filled the area. Garchomp was about to pursue Tessa but Eric stopped him by resting his hand on his back.

"Let her go, buddy. Scum like her aren't worth it," Eric said with a smile.

Garchomp gave a grunt and Eric returned him to his ball after thanking him for the assistance. Eric walked over to the bag of Poké Balls and picked them up before walking back over to Eri and Pino. He smiled down at Eri when he saw that all the anger had left her system and she was relieved to see that Pino was okay.

"Let's get back to the city, Eri," Eric said as he slung the bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Eri said with a nod.

Eri stood up and walked over to Eric and got ready to head back to the city with Eric but they were stopped when three police cars came to a stop in front of them and officers got out.

"Drop the bag and both of you put your hands on your head!" An officer yelled.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on man. You've got the wrong dude," Eric said as he held his hands up.

"Uh huh, like I haven't heard that one before."

The officer began patting Eric down as he searched him for any other things that may have been stolen. When finding nothing, he placed the cuffs on Eric's wrists and began walking him back to the car.

"Wait, he's innocent!" Eri protested.

"How do you know?" The officer asked.

"Because he helped me get my Oshawott back and he defeated the thief who stole the Pokémon to take them back."

"Alright, if he confronted the thief and beat them, then where is the thief?"

Eri closed her mouth and inwardly cursed. Eric let the thief go and that would probably count as assisting a fugitive. Not finding an answer, Eri bit her lip and looked down.

"That's what I thought," the officer said with a nod. "You're going downtown, kid."

"Sweet, I can cross get arrested and thrown in prison off my bucket list," Eric said with a smirk.

"You've got a sharp tongue, don't you?"

"That's what the ladies tell me."

"Alright, shut-up."

Eric was shoved into the car and had an amused grin on his face. Eri watched in disbelief as the cars drove off with Eric in the back seat and the Poke Balls retrieved. She looked down at Pino and began running back to the city. She had to get Pino taken care of and she had to tell Tom about Eric being arrested.

_"Not good, not good, not good!"_ Eri thought as she continued running to the city.

* * *

Pierce, Melanie, and Liam were standing inside the Nacrene City museum with a large amount of grunts surrounding a statue. They were prepared to take the skull of the dragon that was on the display. All of them were being glared at by four trainers and the gym leader, Lenora, who were on the opposite side of the display.

"Who are all of you and what are you doing here?" Corey asked.

"We, Team Plasma, claim this museum's dragon skull in the name of Pokémon liberation!" A grunt replied.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Elliott retorted as she pulled out a Poké Ball.

_"Well, I guess this is the part where we fight our way out,"_ Pierce thought as he touched the smoke bomb on his belt.

_/Flashback/_

_Pierce, Melanie and Liam had been standing in a formation of Team Plasma grunts in front of Langdon and Ghetsis. They were waiting to receive a brief for an operation they were to carry out in Nacrene City to help them towards their goal of freeing enslaved Pokémon. Each of them had different thoughts coursing through their heads. Pierce was concentrating and keeping his ears open for any pertinent information to send to Clint when he got the chance. Melanie looked nervous about the whole operation as she knew it would involve battling if they were confronted by anybody. Liam had a lackadaisical look as he kept his gaze on Langdon and Ghetsis. All he wanted to do was get the mission done to go and relax._

_"What do you think we'll be doing?" Melanie asked._

_"Well it's probably something dangerous if it's involving this many grunts," Liam said with a smirk as he looked at Melanie, "no doubt we will face some strong trainers if they try and stop us from doing whatever it is we are doing."_

_"Pierce, what do you think?" Melanie asked with a worried tone._

_"I think you need to pay attention and be quiet so you know what your job is for the mission," Pierce replied as he glared back at her._

_Melanie was about to ask Pierce what his deal was with his tone of voice but stopped when Ghetsis and Langdon walked up to the front of the formation. All the grunts immediately quieted and stood at attention when their superiors stopped in front of them._

_"I want to get this plan underway, so I will let Executive Langdon explain our mission and the course of action we will take," Ghetsis said before turning to Langdon and nodding at him._

_"Sir," Langdon nodded before turning his attention to the group, "alright, now pay close attention because I'm only going to say this once."_

_All the grunts nodded and Langdon took that as his signal to start the brief._

_"We will be going to Nacrene City to enter the museum to obtain a peculiar fossil that will help us achieve our goal of Pokémon liberation," Langdon began as he paced up and down the formation. "We will be taking the skull of Dragon-type Pokémon that we plan to revive to help aid us in reaching our goal._

_"How will it help us?" Pierce asked._

_"You'll see in due time," Langdon said as he stared at Pierce, making him squirm._

_"Yes sir."_

_"Now, as much as I didn't want to do this, we will end up exposing our aggression to the public which will cause the authorities to be keeping a keen eye on us. So I will tell you what you can expect to face on this mission so you can prepare yourselves for it. We will swarm the museum by using numbers and then one of you will grab the skull. We will make our escape by using smoke screen and meet at our rendezvous point in the Pinwheel Forest. This is a quick snatch and grab mission. If you encounter any resistance, use your smoke grenades and your Pokémon as tools to bound back to the forest. If you get caught by the cops, we will not come and break you because we will not compromise ourselves to get one grunt."_

_"Where will you be during all of this?" Another grunt asked._

_"I will be waiting at the rendezvous point and supervising the operation. The chain of command for the operation will be myself, Pierce and Liam. You will all take your orders from Pierce until he is either caught or not able to lead, in which case you will then take orders from Liam."_

_"I didn't agree to this, Langdon. I told you I had office hours from noon till four on weekdays if you needed to schedule something with me," Liam said with a smirk._

_The smart mouthed comment garnered a few chuckles from the grunts in formation to which Pierce and Melanie shook their heads at Liam's cheeky attitude. Langdon looked straight at Liam and beckoned him over with one finger. Liam rolled his eyes and stood in front of Langdon._

_"I will tell you how this is going to work, Liam. You either lead on the mission or I will personally incapacitate you and leave you for the authorities to do with you as they please," Langdon whispered in his ear._

_Langdon smirked when he saw the uneasy look on Liam's face and knew he had his attention._

_"What would your parents think if they saw their sweet little boy on the news being shown after committing a crime with a criminal organization?" Langdon asked._

_"Fine, I'll do it," Liam muttered in defeat._

_"Good, now get back in line!"_

_Langdon gave Liam a hard shove and he stumbled back into his position. Once Liam was back in line, Langdon continued his speech._

_"Remember, this is a quick snatch and grab. Get that skull and bring it to me once you have it," Langdon said as he folded his arms behind him._

_"Yes sir!" The grunts chorused._

_The grunts disbanded from the formation and departed the room to make their preparations for the mission. Liam continued his trek to the upper floor to grab his Pokémon for the mission but stopped when he saw N walking towards him. He knew about N's dream and planned on using it against him to get some form of entertainment._

_"Good morning, sir!" Liam greeted with a friendly wave._

_"Ah, good morning to you as well," N said with a slight bow._

_"So what are you doing right now, sir? Are you coming with us on this mission?"_

_"No, I'm not. I am returning to my study to continue reading a book I borrowed from the library about the legendary dragons."_

_"The legendary dragons, eh? Well, as it so happens, we are heading to the Nacrene City museum to retrieve the skull of a peculiar dragon Pokémon to help us with our goals. Perhaps you should tag along and take a look?"_

_"I don't know. Although it sounds interesting, I don't think I would have much use for a fossil as it really isn't what I'm searching for."_

_"Come now, sir. I insist. It will be worth your while and I'm sure that you may find something beneficial towards your search there."_

_"Maybe I might, but if you don't mind me asking, why are you trying to help me? My father has told me of your attitude and I must say I find your current demeanor suspicious."_

_"I'm just a simple grunt trying to aid his king. Whether you choose to trust me or not is completely up to you."_

_"I see."_

_N cupped his chin in thought as he tried to come to a decision. In the end, he decided to follow through with Liam's offer and nodded with a sincere smile._

_"I shall take you up on your offer, Liam. Let me go and get my Pokémon and we can head to the city," N said as he turned on his heel._

_N walked away and failed to notice Liam's smirk._

_"Let's see how well you can carry yourself in a battle, sir," Liam thought as he walked down the hall and to the main entrance._

_/Flashback End/_

Pierce had plucked the smoke grenade from his belt but managed to keep it out of sight from the others as he prepared to set it off.

"To show you we're serious, we'll steal it right before your eyes!" A grunt declared as he turned around.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Lenora objected as she stepped forward with Corey, Vanessa, Elliott and Kenta.

All of the grunts in front of the display released a Pokémon to take a defensive position in front of them.

"Popping smoke!" Pierce said as he pulled the pin of the grenade.

He rolled the grenade in front of the five trainers and it gave a snap and a loud hiss as thick grey smoke began to billow out of it. Lenora, Corey, Vanessa, Kenta and Elliott all started to cough as the smoke entered their noses and their mouths. The five of them dropped to the ground and could hear bustling footsteps as the grunts started to carry out their heist.

"Alright, we have the skull! Fall back to the rendezvous point!" Pierce hollered as he ushered the squads out of the doors.

The smoke cleared up moments later and the five of them stood up and looked around for the thieves. They were long gone and the skull of the dragon on the display in front of them was absent. Lenora's fists clenched in anger as she glared in the direction the thieves left in.

"What on earth is going on?" Lenora asked as she hurried down the hall.

"We have to go after them!" Kenta said as he dashed after Lenora in pursuit of Team Plasma.

"Kenta, wait up!" Corey yelled as he, too, ran after them.

"Come on Elliott, let's go!" Vanessa said as they began chasing after the others.

"I'm right behind you, sister!" Elliott replied.

* * *

**Alright, that's the chapter everybody. I hope it was a good welcome back chapter and that it has left you waiting to see what happens next. Let me know what you thought via review guys, I appreciate feedback after writing chapters for all of you to enjoy. That's all I have for you really, so until next time. Later. -CaptainPrice**

**OC introduced: Tessa Hyslop (Fizzy Starburst)**

**Announcements:**

**1.) I have a new Pokemon story up called Becoming the Master that revolves around Ash and it takes place just a month after the Sinnoh League. Basically I'm writing how I believe the story should go if I wrote the anime. Stop in and give it a read. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.**

**Story Shoutous:**

**"Red Steel Travels" by An Anon Fellow**

**A new Trainers sets out to do what they all dream. Become the best Trainer there is. But is all as it seems?**

**"Unova Chronicles" by DoTheBartMan**

**In a region home to many Pokémon a young trainer named Kyle sets on his journey from Aspertia City with the goal of entering the Unova League. ACCEPTING OC'S. (Give this story a read and some constructive feedback. This guy has guts for posting a story despite his dyslexia.)**

**"White Beginnings" by Azonic George**

**Ash starts his travel with the knowledge, and a new starter. A white rare pseudo-legendary. Along the way he met a blond girl who will accompany him on his journey, AshXCynthia RayShipping. (If you like Rayshipping like me, this story is for you. Very interesting and I always have to read the newest chapter when it comes out)**

**"Humilau High" by Your Broski**

**Welcome to Humilau High! Follows the battling team of the high school in and out of the stadium. Hilarity, antics, and Pokémon ensue. Barely, if any time in the classroom. (A high school story filled with comedy that you can find in those old movies like American Pie, Ferris Beuller's Day off, etc.)**

**"One Soul Two Visages" by Tendou Souji**

**Assigned a task by the goddess of death, Reaper saw fit to exploit a loophole during a bout of nonchalance. His opportunistic mind beckoning him, he broke down the barriers between dimensions and plucked out random soul to carry out the task in his place. A discover that everything is preordained shall be reached, for the soul's identity all but shatters the thought of chance.**

**"The Pokemon World League" by The Fan Fiction Writer**

**The elite echelon of the world's trainers gather to determine the very first World Champion. Rated T for safety, expect political undertones and themes. OC's readily accepted.**


	22. Team Sandbourne vs Team Plasma

**Hey all, I'm back with another update for Rise to the Challenge. No excuse once again as to why this took some time, but I made up for it with a 25 page chapter. So sit back and enjoy it. I'll also display the character popularity results at the end of the chapter and leave up the poll on my page so you can see for yourself to see that it's 100% accurate.**

**********Disclaimer: ****Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon. I own the OCs (Tom, Sparks, Sully, Eric, Roy, Alice, Langdon, Pierce, Clint), this story, and the idea of the story.**

**Chapter Summary: Team Plasma successfully steals the skull from the Nacrene City museum and head to their rendezvous point. However, they are setting up to encounter any form of resistance that will try to take the skull back. Meanwhile, Lenora enlists Tom and his friends to help retrieve the skull.**

**Bold- Message Bulletins/PA System/Plaques/Books**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italics- TV/Radio/Pokedex (AKA Dexter) Descriptions/Xtransreceiver Messages/ Xtransreceiver Conversations_**

* * *

Team Plasma had successfully stolen the skull of the dragon fossil and was making their way back to the rendezvous point. Leading the group was Pierce, followed by Liam and then Melanie. They shoved and weaved between tourists to escape from Lenora and the trainers accompanying her with many of the grunts close behind. Pierce glanced at his watch and determined that they were right on schedule and could expect to be at the rendezvous point in twenty minutes if they weren't confronted by authorities. Turning to the others behind them, Pierce decided to have them pick up the pace.

"Pick up the pace, let's go!" Pierce barked.

"No need to yell, Pierce. I'm sure that our grunts have enough smarts to run in a situation like this," Liam replied with a smile.

"Liam, shut up. Now's not the time for a wiseass remark."

"Okay Langdon."

Pierce fought back the urge to slug Liam right there and continued running. He could see the exit straight ahead and prepared to burst through the doors. The doors grew closer and closer and finally, they were within arm's reach and Pierce and Liam charged towards them. The doors flew open as they collided with them and allowed the wave of Team Plasma grunts to flood out and into the street. Pierce waited for Liam to exit before plucking another smoke bomb and detonating it in the entrance way before continuing outside. The smoke bomb exploded and a thick cloud of black smoke filled the hall and blew outside.

Pierce coughed as he stumbled into the bright sunlight and almost tripped as he went down the stairs. He looked up and felt his stomach drop as he saw the person in front of him. King N was in front of him battling having a battle with two people. His mind froze and he began to wonder what the king was doing out in the open when he was supposed to be back at the base. N glanced back him briefly and he could see the knowing look in his eye. Pierce maintained eye contact with N as he started to run off to catch up with the other grunts. He then glanced to the boy and girl that N was talking to and could see the boy's eyes wide with surprise.

It got even worse when the boy took a couple of steps towards away from N, as if he was about to chase after him.

"Damn-it, not now, not when things are going this smooth," Pierce muttered.

He rounded the corner and bolted down the road as fast as he could and he could see Liam and Melanie in the rear of the group. Pierce managed to catch up with the pair of them quick and glanced over his shoulder again, garnering Melanie's attention.

"Pierce, what's wrong?" Melanie asked, "are we still being chased?"

"We're still being chased, but I'm more concerned with what King N is doing here," Pierce replied.

"What do you mean?"

"He wasn't supposed to be with us at all during the raid. He was supposed to be back at base."

"Ah, let the king have his fun," Liam said with a laugh, "he could use some sunlight. Have you seen how pale he is?"

"Dots, what did you do?" Pierce asked, glaring at Liam.

"Teenagers need some form of entertainment so they don't get bored. All I had to do was give our king a little incentive and boy howdy did it work!"

"Do you enjoy making our lives a living hell?"

"Is that a trick question?"

Pierce shook his head and dropped the conversation to which Liam cackled as they continued their run towards the woods.

* * *

Tom, Hayley and N had been battling so N could see how their Pokémon felt about them since their last encounter. So far, Hayley and N had been battling for a while with her Pignite against his Timburr. Their fight had been going on a little longer than N expected compared to the last time back in Accumula Town before he met Tom. At this rate, he wasn't going to be battling Tom any time soon. Although he was focused on the battle, he was curious to how the grunts were holding up after getting the skull.

_"I wonder how this skull will help us,"_ N thought. _"From what I read in that book that Melanie helped me find, I don't think it's the dragon we're looking for."_

N was broken from his thoughts when Hayley ordered her Pignite to strike Timburr with Arm Thrust. The brutal thrust plunged into Timburr's stomach and sent him skidding back to recuperate from the jolting attack. N was about to order his next attack but stopped when the doors to the museum burst open and the large group of Team Plasma grunts led by Pierce and Liam sprinted out. Smoke billowed from a smoke grenade that Pierce dropped to conceal their escape. The surprising action halted the battle as Hayley and Tom looked at the situation develop before them.

N locked eyes with Pierce and watched him as he chased after Liam, Melanie and the others. He could tell that they were successful with their mission and now it was his turn to delay Hayley and Tom from trying to intercept them. When Pierce vanished from sight, N prepared to start the battle again but noticed Tom starting to walk after them.

"Tom, where are you going? We have yet to battle," N said as he looked at him.

"What was that all about?" Tom asked as he looked back at him.

"It doesn't matter. The authorities will take care of them, so don't worry about it."

Tom opened his mouth to argue but stopped when he saw a dark skinned woman with teal hair bolt out of the gym with Kenta, Corey, Vanessa and Elliott behind her. They continued down the road to the intersection and looked around frantically. Using this as an excuse to get away from N, Tom hurried over to catch up to them. The group was panting as they looked around for Team Plasma.

"Guys, what just happened?" Tom asked as he hurried over to them.

"Team Plasma… stole… a skull… from an exhibit," Kenta gasped out.

"How'd that happen?"

"They used smokescreen as a diversion," Corey replied shaking his head.

As Tom collected answers from his friends, a man with green eyes, brown hair came up to them. He was dressed in rather flamboyant clothes that made Tom and Corey raise a brow. Not paying much mind to it, they decided to ask the man in front of them if he saw Team Plasma.

"Good day, Lenora. Find any good fossils lately?" The man asked.

Lenora's eyes widened and a smile graced her lips as she identified the man in front of her.

"This is a surprise visit! Are you suffering from artist's block again?" Lenora replied.

Lenora turned to the trainers beside her and put her hands on her hips.

"Trainers, this is Burgh. He may not look it, but he's the Castelia City gym leader," Lenora said nodding at Burgh.

The gang looked at Burgh who smiled and waved at them. They were silent as they observed him for a moment, but they were all thinking along similar lines. He definitely did not look like a gym leader at all.

"Eh, just looking for a change of pace," Burgh replied with a shrug to Lenora's earlier question. "Seems hectic or something around here. What's up?"

"What's up?" Lenora repeated looking cross once again. "Someone just walked away with an exhibit! That's what's up!"

Sirens were wailing in the distance as police cars began to make their way to the museum. Knowing she would have to explain what happened, Lenora came to a decision. Glancing at the trainers by her, she observed them for a minute. They all looked fairly strong and they were most likely there to challenge her for the Basic Badge. She turned to them and rested her hands on her hips.

"Which of you is in charge here?" Lenora asked.

"That'd be me," Tom said as he raised a hand.

"What's your name?"

"Tom Sandbourne."

"Alright, Tom, listen up. This is what we'll do. As much as I want to take matters into my own hands to catch those thieves, I have to stay here and talk to the authorities. In the meantime, I'd like to ask you and your friends to give me a hand."

"We can help you out, no problem."

"Burgh, I want you to help them out. Take Tom and his friend to search the Pinwheel Forest. I'm positive that's where they went. I'm counting on you all."

Lenora hurried back down the road and to the museum where the patrol cars had stopped. Burgh nodded to himself and glanced at Tom and his friends.

"Tom, is it? Are you raring up to round up some robbers?" Burgh asked.

"Was that a trick question?" Elliott replied.

Burgh chuckled at Elliott's response and started to run down the road to the forest. Tom hurried after him with Corey, Kenta, Elliott and Vanessa following close behind. Each of them was ready to dish out some swift justice to Team Plasma for stealing the skull.

* * *

Pierce, Melanie and Liam were sweating profusely after running from the museum and deep into the forest. They had made it to the rendezvous point and were preparing to fall back to the base after getting full accountability of their group. Langdon walked up to Pierce and Liam after seeing they had the entire group they took. He was pleased that they hadn't lost anyone yet as it could have compromised their position to the authorities.

"Do you have the skull?" Langdon asked Pierce.

"Yes sir," Pierce replied pulling the skull out of the bag he had.

Langdon took the skull and observed it for a minute before giving it back to Pierce to put in his bag. When Pierce put the skull away, Langdon asked the next question.

"Were you followed?" Langdon asked.

"I kept looking back as we were running to see if anyone was chasing us. I didn't see anybody, but I wouldn't risk it. I would suggest getting out of here and back to base," Pierce answered.

"I see. I want to know who we may be dealing with. We have the numbers on our side, but I want to see this threat that may be pursuing us. If we keep moving, they can track us back to the base and that's the last thing I want to do."

"What do you want to do then, sir?"

"I want you, Liam and Melanie to split up the grunts we have and place them around the forest. Ambush anyone that may be looking for us to stop them."

"Got it."

Pierce motioned for Melanie and Liam to come to him. Melanie hurried over while Liam took his time with a smirk on his face. Pierce was already frustrated with Liam for persuading N to come with them on the mission, but he pushed it aside long enough to explain the plan to the two of them.

"What's going on?" Melanie asked kneeling down.

"New plan. Langdon wants us to hold our ground and fend off any people pursuing us. He wants to see this threat we may be dealing with," Pierce replied.

"That sounds boring. I say we keep running and get back to base. We'll be on our home turf and can have some real fun with them there," Liam said, loud enough for Langdon to hear.

"Liam, shut the hell up. Now, Langdon wants us to take some of the grunts here and take defensive positions around the forest so we can ambush those that are following us. Once we take care of them we'll head back to base."

"Does that mean we're in charge of our own groups?" Melanie asked with a nervous tone.

"Yes. So I suggest you find your courage and prepare to fight back."

Pierce stood up and slung the bag over his shoulders and walked over to the large mass of grunts. He gave a sharp whistle and gathered their attention. Melanie and Liam stood beside him as he got ready to inform them of the updated plans. Liam put his hands in the pockets and looked up at the treetops with a bored look while Melanie was fidgeting with obvious nervousness.

"There's been a change of plans. We're going to split all of you up into groups to eliminate any threat of pursuers by ambushing them here in the forest. You'll be taking orders from the squad leaders. The squad leaders are me, Melanie and Liam. There will be about five to six of you per group. Divide yourselves up evenly and we can get going," Pierce explained.

The grunts obeyed the order without question and lined up in front of Liam, Melanie and Pierce. After they all divvied up, Pierce turned to Melanie and Liam to give them the last bit of advice.

"Tell your squads that if they are defeated by the threat to fall back to the base by using smokescreen as concealment. That's the contingency plan for everybody," Pierce said before walking over to his group.

"Sheesh, he is becoming Langdon Junior with that bossy attitude," Liam said with a snort.

Liam walked over to his group with little enthusiasm to explain the contingency plan and then move out to their desired position. Melanie swallowed the lump in her throat and glanced back at Langdon who took a moment to give her an expecting look. She did her best to steady her nerves and went over to her group.

"Alright guys, follow me to our new position," Melanie said with as much confidence as she could.

She could see the unmotivated looks on their faces and was sure that they were not thrilled to be following her orders. She couldn't blame them either since she knew that she wasn't cut out for the job like Pierce and Liam were. Trying to shake the feeling of being useless, she stood erect and displayed as much false confidence that she could and marched her team to their new position.

While Melanie and Liam escorted their teams to their respective areas, Langdon pulled Pierce aside to talk with him.

"I want your team to stay nearby me so you can pull back and give me the skull should you have to," Langdon said looking down at him.

"Yes sir," Pierce nodded as he walked back over to his team to have them spread out.

Langdon turned on his heel and walked towards his hiding area deeper in the forest. He told Pierce where his location was and now he had to sit and play the waiting game.

* * *

Burgh had led Tom and the gang into the forest and they were standing on the road that had multiple trails leading off of it. The trails vanished into the thicket of trees, buckthorn, bushes and tall grass, making it a twisted labyrinth that would take one deep into the forest and more than likely get them lost. Burgh turned back to the group after they stopped as he looked down the road and at the trails.

"Well, as you can see…" Burgh began as he gestured to the trails around him, "there are two ways out of the forest. These trails that lead deeper into the forest for trainers to train and catch Pokémon and then the paved road here that gives way to a bigger dirt trail a couple hundred meters down."

"So it's the point of no return then?" Elliott asked as she crossed her arms. "Great, I always wanted to get lost in a forest."

"You won't get lost because I've come up with a strategy to keep us from getting lost," Tom said. "We'll split up into buddy teams to provide support to one another. If what Burgh said was true, we should be able to create a choke point to pin these jokers inside and take the skull back."

"Good idea," Burgh said with a nod. "I'll go down the paved road here. Who's coming with me?"

"I'll go," Kenta said as he walked over to Burgh.

Kenta and Burgh stood side by side to make the first group. Vanessa turned to Elliott and nodded at her as they stood together, leaving Tom and Corey to form the final group. Once the groups were set and ready to go, Tom gave them the contingency plan.

"Back each other up if you encounter any of those guys. When you win your battle and they try to run away, do not chase after them. Let them go and keep searching for the ring leader for the skull. Once you have cleared your area or need to stop because you and your teams can't continue, fall back to Nacrene City but notify us with your Xtransreceiver," Tom instructed as he looked around at them.

"Got it," Kenta said with a nod.

When everything was explained, the groups separated and went down their respective trails. Vanessa and Elliott took the dirt trail to the left and vanished into the trees. Kenta and Burgh walked down the paved road to the next main trail and Tom and Corey went to the unmarked trail off to the left of the paved road.

"How strong do you think these guys are?" Corey asked as he glanced at Tom.

"I'm not sure, but if it's anything like I experienced in the past with Team Rocket and Team Galactic, these guys should be the weak runts. I'm willing to bet their ring leaders are very strong, so be on your guard," Tom replied.

"Alright, bro."

* * *

Kenta and Burgh stumbled upon the dirt trail that connected to the paved road. They had followed it for almost ten minutes and had yet to find any Team Plasma grunts in the process. Their search was going too smoothly and that alone made Burgh maintain his guard. Kenta was also alert for any surprises that may be lurking in the trees. In all the movies he had seen, any time that an attack or a search seemed to be going well, it would always lead to an ambush of some sort. Kenta wasn't sure how strong Burgh was or what type of Pokémon he used for the matter, but he felt comfortable with being partnered up with a gym leader.

"Where do you think they are?" Kenta whispered.

"I'm not sure," Burgh answered with a shake of his head, "but I do not like this silence."

"I know what you mean. It's like we're being lured into a trap or something."

"Indeed."

Kenta and Burgh stopped for a moment to survey the area. Any form of disturbance to the surrounding area could provide to be a clue to track down Team Plasma. A branch snapped from the thicket of trees in front of them and they both drew a Poké Ball from their belts. Kenta summoned Stan and Burgh released his ball and a tall Pokémon stood before him. Curious to what the new Pokémon before him was, Kenta pulled out his Pokedex to identify it.

_**"Leavanny, the nurturing Pokémon and Sewaddle's final evolutionary form. When Leavanny finds a small Pokémon it makes clothing for it with its arm cutters, using leaves and sticky silk,"**_ Dexter informed.

Kenta gave a satisfied nod and the identified Pokémon and tucked his Pokedex away. He looked at Burgh and saw that he was motioning for them to move closer to the source of the noise to investigate it. He nodded back and had Stan move forward as he followed close behind.

"Stan, use Bonemerang on those branches in front of us," Kenta whispered.

Stan nodded and hurled his bone at the large clusters of sticks. Multiple cracks sounded around the trees as Stan's bone cut through the sticks. He caught his bone as it came back and had a satisfied look after looking at the path he cut for his master.

"Thanks buddy," Kenta said as he rubbed Stan's head.

Burgh and Kenta crept forward through the new path that Stan had made, all the while keeping their eyes peeled for any movement. Finally, they got a break. In front of them was a group of grunts that were looking at them with glares. Obviously they weren't too happy with being found. Standing behind the grunts was another member that had a bag slung on his shoulders.

"Team Plasma, hold your ground!" The grunt with the bag yelled.

"Understood, Pierce!" They chorused.

"Which one of you has the skull?" Kenta asked as he glared at them.

"If you want it, come and get it," Pierce answered.

"Kenta, we do this as a team. Don't fall for those taunts," Burgh said.

Kenta nodded and pointed at the first two grunts that stood in front of him and Burgh. The grunts summoned their own Pokémon and prepared to battle. Burgh stood beside Kenta, ready to give Leavanny orders to engage.

"Let's go!" Kenta said and Stan jumped at the Pokémon with Leavanny beside him.

* * *

Vanessa and Elliott had barely been on their path for ten minutes and they had already come across some Team Plasma grunts. So far they had made mincemeat out of the grunts and were progressing quite nicely down the trail to that would eventually box in the ring leaders if Tom was right. They both had been keeping score on who was in the lead and so far they were tied with each of them taking two grunts. Elliott had been using her Sawk, Ace, and Vanessa had used her Glaceon, Crystal to do their bidding.

One thing that was bothering the both of them was that each time they tried to get an answer from the grunts was that they would use smokescreen to run away after being defeated. Elliott lost her cool with their last grunt and almost gave chase but stopped when Vanessa had Glaceon freeze the ground in front of her, making her slip. She glared back at Vanessa who had a teasing smirk on her face and giggled at the little spill she took.

"That wasn't funny!" Elliott hissed.

"Oh lighten up," Vanessa replied as she rolled her eyes.

Elliott scrambled to her feet and stomped over to Vanessa with a heated look in her eyes. Vanessa raised a brow at Elliott's comical anger as she pointed a finger in her face.

"Don't do that again!" Elliott yelled.

"Elliott, it was just a joke. This is exactly what all of us keep telling you. You need a better sense of humor," Vanessa replied as she continued walking down the trail.

"Well I'm sorry if my humor doesn't match everyone else's!"

Vanessa opened her mouth to retort but stopped when she spotted another member from Team Plasma from the trees. She hurried to hide behind a tree with Elliott doing the same with the one beside her. Vanessa peered around the tree and could see the member a little easier. Her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the member was none other than Melanie. The same member she fought a little over a week ago. She wasn't sure what Melanie's purpose was, but if it was similar to last time, then it was possible she was one of the ring leaders.

"I think that girl there is the ring leader of the group," Vanessa whispered.

"How do you know?" Elliott replied.

"I fought her last week with Eri in Striaton City and she was the one in charge of the group there."

"Alright. What do you want to do?"

"We'll take her together. She's outnumbered and if memory serves me right, she's terrified of battling, so we lucked out."

Elliott nodded and followed Vanessa's lead as she stepped out from behind the tree. The two of them walked up to Melanie and managed to get her attention as they continued towards her. Melanie stood up and had a smirk plastered on her face. Her confidence wasn't too strong, but it wasn't stopping her from trying to appear more confident than she was. When she saw the two trainers get closer to her, she opened her mouth to taunt them.

"Well look who's here!" Melanie said, "I see you both made quick work of my squad."

"Aw put a cork in it!" Elliott retorted, "are you the ring leader or not?"

"Did you not hear me say that you made quick work of my squad?"

Elliott's face reddened a little bit as she had failed to hear that first bit. Melanie smirked at Elliott before looking at the other trainer in front of her.

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you again anytime soon… Melanie, is it?" Vanessa said as she looked up at her.

Melanie's focus went up when she heard that voice. It sounded similar to the one she heard almost a week ago when she and Pierce botched the attempt of freeing some Pokémon that they stole. When she saw Vanessa's face and her ice blue eyes bearing into her, all the confidence she had was shattered. She knew she was facing a strong trainer as she had taken out one of Pierce's Pokémon which is not an easy thing to do.

"You again!" Melanie sneered.

"Yup, little ole' me," Vanessa replied with a smirk. "So, Melanie, do you have the skull that you jerks stole earlier?"

"Maybe I do and maybe I don't."

"Wait, why did I even ask that? Of course you don't have it. They wouldn't give you an important job like that. Especially after you failed that task last week."

"Shut up!"

Melanie was now angered at the little jab that Vanessa dealt her. She wasn't sure why, but she pulled out her Poké Ball to release her first Pokémon. This time she was eager to battle and prove Vanessa wrong about not being assigned an important job. Her determination made Vanessa raise a brow in surprise as she, too, got ready to battle. Vanessa looked down at Crystal and nodded at Melanie. Getting the message, Crystal ran into the clearing to start the battle. Melanie threw her Poké Ball into the clearing and it opened with a crack, allowing her first Pokémon to materialize before her. The white glow vanished and revealed a Pokémon that looked similar to Elliott's Scraggy.

"A Scrafty!" Elliott said with some surprise.

"That's right!" Melanie said, "Scrafty, use High Jump Kick!"

Vanessa had to do a double take at how quick Scrafty moved after receiving the order. He vanished upon hearing it and was right beside Crystal the next second with his leg straight out, ready to collide with her side. Crystal gave a loud cry of pain after being hit with the attack and landed gingerly a few feet away. The devastating hit made Vanessa growl and retaliate back.

"Hang in there, Crystal! Use Ice Ball!" Vanessa barked.

Crystal shook off the pain and opened her mouth and a large solid ball of ice started to take shape. Once the ball finished forming, she sent it right at Scrafty. Thinking quickly, Melanie had her next move pop into her head and she was growing a little excited at being able to fight back.

"Dodge and use Chip Away!" Melanie countered back.

Scrafty sidestepped the first ball of ice and began dashing at Crystal. Crystal kept sending the consecutive Ice Ball attack at Scrafty. Each ball of ice got bigger and stronger to the point that Scrafty would not be able to dodge with ease.

"Scrafty, use Chip Away on the ice!" Melanie ordered.

Scrafty jumped up and gave a volley of punches on the ball of ice with rapid speed, shattering it with ease. Needless to say, Vanessa was surprised at the sudden turn around that Melanie was showing since their last encounter.

"Finish it with High Jump Kick!" Melanie yelled.

Scrafty began descending on Crystal with his leg extended, ready to hit her once again. However, Vanessa was ready for that and had Crystal dodge just in time. Scrafty hit the ground and fell to a fetal position in serious pain after missing his target. Vanessa took the chance to have Crystal land a hit on Scrafty.

"Use Aurora Beam!" Vanessa yelled.

A neon colored beam was sent from Crystal and went straight for Scrafty. The attack hit him head on and sent him airborne. Scrafty went spiraling headfirst into a tree and hit the ground with a hard thud. Once he failed to get up, Melanie recalled him to his Poké Ball and readied her next Pokémon. She released her next ball and it opened. This time a large shape started to form and in its place stood a large Pokémon with red gem like stone attached to it.

"Gigalith, use Sandstorm!" Melanie ordered.

Gigalith's eyes glowed red for a brief moment and the wind started to kick up. Dust began to swirl and started to cover the area in a thick veil of sand. The condition change made this a lot harder for Vanessa to see Gigalith as he seemed to vanish in the sandstorm.

"Crystal, get ready to move!" Vanessa warned.

"Not going to happen! Gigalith, use Stone Edge!" Melanie yelled.

Gigalith gave a roar and two rings of sharp stones appeared around his body as he got ready to unleash them on Crystal. Crystal, who had no visibility could not see or tell when the attack was coming and prepared to move at the first sign she saw. Gigalith stomped his front feet into the ground and sent the stones soaring at Crystal. All that was heard was the pained cry of Crystal as the stones pelted her with pinpoint accuracy. The sandstorm subsided and Crystal was lying on her side, defeated from the powerful attack.

"So who's next?" Melanie asked with a smirk, looking between Vanessa and Elliott.

Her newfound confidence was making her feel good and she was eager to continue the battle for once in her life.

"Let's see if you can handle me," Elliott said as she and Ace stepped forward.

"Bring it on."

Vanessa recalled Crystal to her Poké Ball and tagged Elliott's hand to switch out of the battle.

* * *

On Tom and Corey's end, being the strongest of their group, they had successfully pushed through the grunts that were in their path. Corey had the majority of wins as he, Crusader and Admiral took out grunt after grunt. Tom had stayed back and let Corey have his fun to get his win streak up after losing to Trent in the tournament. Corey had taken out the sixth grunt in their path and was beginning to wonder if there was a ring leader in the group they were fighting.

"Tom, not that I'm not enjoying dealing ass kicking's to these guys, but where is the ring leader?" Corey asked.

"I'm not sure. I imagine they'd be near their team," Tom replied with a shrug as he and Sparks looked around.

"A ring leader you say?" A new voice kicked in.

Tom and Corey turned to the source of a voice and saw a tall brown haired boy with freckles wearing the Team Plasma uniform. Just by looking at him, Tom and Corey were having a hard time trying to take him seriously.

"Are you the ring leader for these clowns?" Tom asked.

"Clowns? That's a new one, but to answer your question, I am the ring leader for this team of grunts you've been kicking around," the boy replied.

"So there's more than one ring leader?" Corey asked.

"That's correct. I'm actually surprised that a pretty boy like you was able to think that quickly."

Corey grimaced at the comment and was itching to battle this next guy. He was hoping he would provide some sort of challenge as the grunts had been very boring with their lack of power.

"So which of two was the one who took out my men? Was it you, Mr. Shades?" The boy asked, looking at Corey.

"Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't," Corey answered with a shrug, "would you care to find out?"

"Ah, so it was you! Atta boy, just fight, fight, fight!"

"What's your name?" Tom asked.

"Liam, since you asked nicely," Liam replied with a cheery smile.

"Well, Liam, where is the skull?" Corey asked.

Liam cocked his head to the side and began to walk around the clearing, not answering Corey's question. When he didn't receive a response, Corey asked him again. Once again his question was ignored and Corey was starting to get a little impatient.

"I guess I retract that statement about you being smart," Liam said with a grin, "as you can see in my clearly empty hands, I don't have it!"

"Then which one of you jokers has it?" Tom pried.

"That would be Pierce. Although he may have given it to our boss."

"Where is your boss?"

"He's back that way."

Liam jerked his thumb in the direction behind him and Tom started running in that direction with Corey close behind. However, that wasn't to be as Liam had summoned his first Pokémon to stand in front of them. The glow vanished and it revealed a Tyranitar standing tall.

"Now, that's not nice," Liam said. "You grant my men the luxury of a battle but you can't spare some time for me? Coming to think of it, I didn't give you permission to leave."

"We don't have time for you," Tom replied, glaring back at him.

"Tom, go on ahead. I'll take him on and catch up in a bit," Corey said as he took a step towards Liam.

"Are you sure?"

"Bro, I'm on a winning streak here. I want to keep that going as long as possible."

Tom nodded and ran around Tyranitar and continued in the direction to where Liam said his boss was. Corey turned back to Liam and had Crusader ready to go against Liam's Tyranitar. He could see the cheeky look on Liam's face and he clapped his hands.

"Ah, thank you Mr. Shades! I'm so glad you took time out of your schedule to battle me!" Liam said.

Corey watched as Tyranitar walked over to Liam, his feet making the ground shake a little wih each step.

"Yeah, no problem. Just be sure to put up a good fight," Corey replied with a smirk.

"Oh, well, let's hope I meet your standards."

* * *

Tom and Sparks continued their run to the area where Liam said his boss was at. He wasn't sure how strong the boss was, but he wasn't going to take any chances. He had to be sure not to underestimate the boss since he would more than likely be very strong. Tom jumped over a bush and landed on a dirt slope and let it carry him down. Sparks landed by his feet moments later and he looked around to try and find any other Team Plasma members.

"Do you sense anything, Sparks?" Tom asked as he looked down at him.

"Rai," Sparks replied as he shook his head.

"Maybe that guy was lying."

"I see that runt decided to defy the orders once again," A deep voice said.

Tom turned to the source of the voice and could see a tall man appear from the trees. He had clean cut black hair that was turning grey with age and onyx black eyes. His uniform was similar to the other Team Plasma members, but his tabard was black and red. He was also wearing a brown duster over his uniform.

"So you're the big cheese of all the clowns here?" Tom asked, glaring at him.

"Interesting choice of words, boy," the man replied as he reached into his duster.

"Who are you anyway?"

"Langdon Gardner."

Tom glanced at Langdon's hand as it remained buried in the duster. He wasn't sure what Langdon was going to do, but he was very cautious of the man before him.

"Let me ask you something," Tom said as he took his eyes off of Langdon's hand. "What do you aim to do with an old skull?"

"I'm sure by now that you probably know our goal of Pokémon liberation?" Langdon replied.

"Yeah, but what's that have to do with it?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, how about you entertain me a bit? Judging by your confidence and your commanding presence, I'm sure you're the leader of your friends?"

"You guessed right."

Langdon smirked and pulled out a Poké Ball, ready to engage the leader of his opposing force. He was curious to the power that the boy in front of him had and was ready to test him. He threw his ball into the air and it opened with a loud crack, allowing a large white glow to materialize before him. The glow vanished and in its place stood a Drapion. The intimidating Pokémon clicked its pincers as it glared down at Tom and Sparks.

"Sparks, you're up," Tom said as he looked down at him.

Sparks nodded and ran down out into the field to face Drapion. Electricity crackled as it emitted from his cheeks as he glared at the large Pokémon. Langdon chuckled at seeing the tiny confident Pokémon prepared to take any challenge presented.

"What's your name, boy?" Langdon asked.

"Tom Sandbourne," Tom replied.

The second the words left his mouth, Tom could have sworn he saw a flicker of anger in Langdon's eyes. Langdon's look became more focused as he got ready to start the battle.

"Drapion, use Pin Missile!" Langdon ordered.

* * *

Kenta and Burgh had made slow but steady progress against their group of Team Plasma members. Their teamwork had been exceptional and because of that, each of them had taken out an even number of members a piece and were now taking on the ring leader of the group, Pierce. Kenta and Burgh had done a considerable amount of damage against Pierce by taking out his Houndoom and then Burgh had his Leavanny get a lucky hit on his Swampert which took him out.

"Give up yet?" Kenta asked with a smirk.

"You're strong, I'll give you that," Pierce replied. "I will not let you take this skull though."

Pierce had recalled Swampert to his Poké Ball and got ready to execute his next strategy. He reached for his belt to appear he was getting his next Pokémon ready, but was truly preparing to follow the contingency plan he had set up. Quick as a flash, Pierce swiped his smoke grenade and triggered it before throwing it into the center of the clearing. His hands then went for his next item being a flash grenade and he then threw that one. The sudden action caught Kenta and Burgh off guard as they were blinded by a flash of light.

By the time their vision returned, smoke had covered the entire clearing and Pierce was long gone. Thinking quickly, Kenta summoned his Jolteon, Ace, to have him track down Pierce's scent. Ace gave a bark and dashed off through the smoke after picking up Pierce's trail. Kenta and Burgh followed Ace through the smoke and into the thicket of branches and trees. They were not going to let Pierce get away that easily and they had Ace to be sure of that.

"Nice thinking, Kenta," Burgh said with a smile.

"Thanks. I'm glad I was able to think of that quickly," Kenta replied as they jumped over a downed tree.

* * *

Melanie was now at the end of her rope and was preparing to follow the contingency plan that Pierce had set up to fall back to the base. She had lost Scrafty, Gigalith, and Woobat. The last Pokémon she had at her disposal was Herdier and he was on his last legs. Vanessa and Elliott had worked in a very suitable tag battle against her and managed to get her down to her last Pokémon. However, Melanie had done some damage to them as well. She successfully took down Vanessa's Glaceon and Flygon by using Gigalith and then she took down Elliott's Sawk with her Woobat. So far, despite being on the losing edge of this battle, Melanie had felt elated at being able to finally fight back and find some form of confidence.

At the moment, Melanie was battling Elliott again who had come out using her Timburr, Stronghold. Melanie knew she would not win this battle and was having Herdier dodge every attack from Stronghold.

"Stronghold, use Force Palm!" Elliott yelled.

Stronghold jumped at Herdier and successfully cornered him into a tree. He pressed his palm on Herdier's side and at first, nothing happened. Then without warning, Herdier was launched into the air and sent into the tree from the powerful force that came from the attack. Herdier slid down to the ground and collapsed, clearly defeated. Elliott gave a loud whoop of excitement and punched the air with. So far she had been on an impressive winning streak against the Team Plasma grunts and now she just helped Vanessa seal their last victory of the day by defeating Melanie.

Melanie recalled Herdier to his ball and tucked it away. As she got ready to move, Vanessa and Elliott hurried over to stop her. Acting quickly, Melanie triggered the smoke grenade and ran into the woods as fast as she could. Her sudden flight made Elliott dash after her as she tried to intercept her before she fled. This did not work out the way that Elliott hoped. The main reason was because of Vanessa. Vanessa hurried after her and tackled her to the ground to stop her from pursuing Melanie deeper into the forest.

"Let go of me! We can get her and ask her questions to figure out what is so important about that stupid skull!" Elliott sputtered as she tried to shake Vanessa off.

"Elliott, we can't do that! Tom told us not to pursue any of them if they ran!" Vanessa grunted out as she continued to hold Elliott down.

"We can still get her, she's not that fast!"

"Elliott! We are not in the condition to battle right now! We're down a few Pokémon and if we chase her it leaves us susceptible to another ambush! Use your head!"

Elliott's struggling died down a little bit until she finally stopped and relaxed against Vanessa's hold. Before she let go of Elliott, Vanessa wanted to be sure Elliott was calm and wouldn't try anything stupid.

"Are you done now?" Vanessa asked calmly.

"Yeah, I'm good," Elliott sighed.

Vanessa got off of Elliott and allowed her to stand up. Elliott shook off the dirt that got on her and looked over at Timburr who appeared exhausted from the battling he had done. She walked over to him with a large grin and held her hand up for a high five which Timburr happily returned. Elliott gasped in surprise as Timburr started to glow white and began to grow before her eyes. He was evolving! Timburr's size grew and his body began to appear more defined with definite muscle. When the glow vanished, in its place was another Pokémon that had a similar resemblance. Elliott pulled out her Pokedex to identify her newly evolved Pokémon.

_**"Gurdurr, the muscular Pokémon and the evolved form of Timburr. Gurdurr trains its muscles by carrying a steel beam. With its amazing strength, even professional wrestlers can't move it,"**_ Dexter informed.

Elliott cheered in excitement and hugged Stronghold as tight as she could. Stronghold wrapped his arms around Elliott and she was thrilled at the amount of strength she could feel in the embrace. With her newly evolved Gurdurr, she would without a doubt be able to beat Lenora with ease if what the Pokedex told her was true.

"Congrats, Elliott," Vanessa said with a smile.

"Thanks!" Elliott replied as Stronghold released her. "Let's get out of here."

"Right behind you."

Elliott returned Stronghold to his ball and started to follow Vanessa back down the trail where they came.

* * *

Corey was still waging his battle against Liam and was having fun. He found that Liam was fairly strong to be a grunt in Team Plasma. The Pokémon that he had seen so far proved that he should have been higher in rank, but something must have prevented him from excelling in the rankings. Corey had Admiral going against Liam's Tyranitar in hopes to end the battle. Beating Liam would put him at seven wins straight and that was a definite plus to his day.

"Admiral, use Hydro Pump!" Corey yelled.

"Tyranitar, counter it with Dark Pulse!" Liam hollered.

Admiral's mouth opened wide and a large jet of water went soaring at Tyranitar. Tyranitar mimicked Admiral's movement and opened his mouth. A dark purple and black spiraling energy left his mouth to intercept Admiral's attack. Both attacks collided, but Tyranitar's Dark Pulse continued its projected path and hit Admiral in the chest, sending him into the ground. This caught Corey by surprise since each time that happened during the fight, the attacks ended with a draw. Now it seemed as though Admiral was losing his strength a lot quicker for going against a pseudo-legendary.

"Get up, Admiral!" Corey urged.

"Tyranitar, end it with Stone Edge," Liam said as he looked at Corey.

Tyranitar gave a roar as two rings of sharp stones appeared around his body and prepared to launch at Admiral. Admiral heard Corey's encouraging words and managed to push himself to his feet gingerly. He glared at Tyranitar and wanted nothing more than to take him down and prove he was the better of the two of them. Power began to surge through his veins and he was suddenly surrounded in a dark blue aura.

_"Torrent!"_ Corey thought with surprise and then smirked. He just won this fight.

"Alright, Admiral, hit him with everything you got!" Corey shouted.

Admiral's mouth opened once again, this time, however, something else happened. The move that he released was not Hydro Pump, but something else a lot stronger. A bright blue flash of light built in front of Admiral's beak and a large ball of rotating water began to form. Finally, he shot the ball at Tyranitar and it had rotating streaks of water following it as it. The powerful ball crashed into Tyranitar's. The attack was so strong that it forced Tyranitar to stop his attack in surprise and he stood still for a long time, as if trying to comprehend what just happened. Tyranitar fell forward with a thundering crash, shaking the ground a little bit as he hit the ground.

"Yes! Way to go, Admiral!" Corey praised.

"Well look at that!" Liam said as he clapped enthusiastically. "You are a strong one! Keep that up and fight, fight, fight!"

Liam recalled Tyranitar to his ball and thumbed the last smoke grenade that dangled on his belt. He was mildly impressed with Corey's strength as a trainer.

"Tell me something. Are you the strongest of your group?" Liam asked.

"Maybe I am. What's it to you?" Corey replied as he returned Admiral to his ball.

"You beat me, and I'm one of the strongest, if not the strongest grunt that Team Plasma has. So you are obviously not one to handle people like me. If you are the strongest like you say, then you should be the one fighting my boss."

"Why's that?"

"Because the fight he is in with your friend right now makes us look like fresh novice trainers."

Corey's eyes widened when he heard that and was concerned with how Tom was holding up. He went to fight the boss and if Liam was right, Tom was in serious trouble. He took a step forward to try and gather more information, but failed. Liam had triggered his smoke grenade and tossed it to create concealment for his escape. Corey could hear Liam's laughter die away as he ran into the forest and out of sight.

"Damn-it," Corey muttered turning to the direction Tom ran off to earlier.

He started to run as fast as he could, desperate to get Tom and help him.

* * *

Tom was at the end of his rope after battling Langdon. The battle area that they occupied to fight was almost unrecognizable from earlier. All the trees, grass, sticks and bushes were gone. The field now had multiple craters, trees were split in half, some small flames burned on the ground. For the entirety of the fight, Tom was getting slaughtered by Langdon. He didn't even take out any of his Pokémon and Langdon was now working on taking out Sparks.

Tom switched Sparks out when he saw Drapion's capability and tried using Sully, Lucario and Snivy. Langdon had only used his Drapion and his Salamence. Salamence made easy work of Lucario and took him out with a single Flamethrower attack. Once Lucario was out of the fight, he switched back to Drapion and then used him to counter Sully and Snivy. Everything that Tom did in order to get into Drapion's guard or score a hit was countered with ease. Langdon had used Drapion's Pin Missile as an attack and a method of forcing Tom's Pokémon back if they got too close. He then used a deadly combination of Toxic Spikes and Cross Poison to deal major damage to Tom's team and easily took out Snivy.

The Toxic Spikes affected Sully when he was sent in to try and take out Drapion. He managed to hit Drapion with a few of his attacks, but they didn't do the damage that was needed to take Drapion down. Tom tried to have Sully use Flame Wheel to hit Drapion but was in for a bad surprise. Drapion ducked under the attack and used his tail to catch Sully as he soared over him. He held Sully in place and scored a direct hit on him with Cross Poison. The attack did major damage to Sully on contact. Sully was slammed into the ground and then hit with Pin Missile, taking him out of the fight.

Sparks was now on the defensive and trying to stay focused after being affected by the toxins from Toxic Spikes. Tom was having a little more success with Sparks as he was able to have him break free from Drapion using his electricity, but it was getting harder to do each time.

"Sparks, use Thunder Punch!" Tom yelled.

"Drapion, prepare to intercept," Langdon said.

Sparks got down on all fours and dashed at Drapion before leaping into the air. Electricity began to crackle around his paw as he prepared to deliver the strong attack. His eyes locked with Drapion's and he sent the most intimidating glare that he could at him. Sparks descended quickly and brought his fist back as he got ready to strike Drapion on the head. However, just like before, Langdon and Drapion were ready with their counter.

"Catch him now!" Langdon barked.

Drapion's pincers caught Sparks' body and pinned his paw to his side, successfully stopping his attack. Sparks began to struggle desperately to break free from Drapion's clutches, but it was proving to be futile.

"Sparks, use Thunder to break out!" Tom hollered.

"Cross Poison," Langdon said coldly.

Drapion's speed was more impressive as his arms crossed and a large purple X formed on them. The purple cross was sent at Sparks and crashed head into him. Sparks let out a loud cry of pain as the attack dealt major damage to him. Drapion brought his tail back and slammed Sparks into the ground. Sparks, weak from the damage he took, stood up and swayed but he could not hold it. He fell to his side and entered blissful unconsciousness.

Now Tom had one Pokémon left, but he was hesitant on sending it out. His last Pokémon was his strongest one, but from what he experienced as he battled Langdon, he saw that there was no way he could win. If anything, he would be able to take out Drapion and possibly draw with Salamance, but then he was not sure what other Pokémon Langdon had up his sleeve. With his confidence shattered, the only solution Tom could think of to get out of this situation was to surrender.

"Give up, boy," Langdon said as glared at Tom. "As you can see, you have no chance of beating me. You are on your last Pokémon and I still have all six of mine."

"I'm not going to let you take that skull," Tom said, defiance still evident in his voice.

"All talk. Surrender now and maybe I will spare you and let you keep your Pokémon. From what I can tell, your Pokémon are suffering under your care."

"Shut up. My Pokémon have remained loyal to me because I treat them as equals. No one knows that better than me!"

"You say that now, but how do you think this loss has affected them?"

"We've come back from losses in the past. This is just all part and parcel of being a trainer!"

"Except this time you will not be coming back. If you don't surrender now, I will take your Pokémon and release them."

Tom wanted to open his mouth to argue, but found he had nothing to say. Langdon was right and he hated admitting it. His fingers traced his last Poké Ball as he maintained eye contact with one of the strongest men he had ever faced in his life. Either way he looked at it, he had lost this battle.

_"Combat ineffective,"_ Tom thought as his fists shook with frustration.

"Choose wisely, boy," Langdon said as he crossed his arms.

Tom looked back up at Langdon with a defeated look on his face. His hand fell from his hip and hung limply by his side.

"I…" Tom began as he fell to his knees. "I surrender."

"At least you have the common sense to know when you are out of your league," Langdon said as he recalled Drapion to his ball.

Tom held up Sparks' ball and returned him to it. He had never experienced a loss that bad since he fought Lance at the Johto League. Langdon had proven to be a powerful trainer and was more than likely champion level with the amount of time it took him to decimate his team. He heard Langdon approaching him, but he didn't do anything to run. Langdon came to a stop a few feet in front of him and had his arms crossed as his eyes bore into him.

"You are a strong trainer, boy. It's a shame you don't share the same view as us as we could use more strong people like you to help us in our goal," Langdon said.

Tom said nothing in return and was just waiting for Langdon to leave. Some rustling in the bushes caught his attention as three more grunts jumped from them. Langdon relaxed a little when he saw Liam, Pierce and Melanie all looking exhausted and roughed up.

"I take it you all lost?" Langdon asked.

"I had to fall back to protect the skull, sir," Pierce replied as he handed Langdon the bag.

Langdon took the bag and observed the skull for a bit. He turned to Melanie, Liam and Pierce and nodded towards the trees behind him. Getting the message, Liam and Melanie hurried off to get back to base. Pierce walked back to the trees to provide Langdon support if need be. As he waited for Langdon to put the skull away, he was surprised with what he saw next. Langdon dropped the skull in front of Tom, turned on his heel and walked away. He ignored Pierce's expression but stopped when Tom called out to him.

"After all of that, you give back the skull? You won!"

"So the dream we had won't become a reality then? What was the point of even stealing the skull?" Pierce asked as he looked at Langdon.

"It's irrelevant," Langdon replied leveling him with a stare. "We can afford to abandon the skull. After I took a second look at it, I was able to determine that it's not the skull of the legendary Pokémon for which Team Plasma is looking for. It's completely unrelated."

"You've got to be kidding me. So we just did all that for nothing?"

"Mind your tone. Ghetsis asked us to take it so we could use it to fulfill the king's agenda. We did our job, now it's time to give him the results."

Pierce closed his mouth and nodded, not wanting to test Langdon's patience. Langdon looked back at Tom and decided to give him a warning.

"Boy, let this loss be a warning to you. Never cross our path again or else I will finish what I started. Take that skull and get out of here."

With that, Langdon and Pierce walked into the trees and vanished from sight. Tom picked up the skull and held it in his hands. He sat with his back against the remains of a tree and continued staring at the skull. Setting the skull down, he took off his hat and ran his hands through his sweaty hair. He could hear hurried footsteps but found himself unable to acknowledge them. From the corner of his eye, he could see Burgh, Kenta and Corey surveying the damage done to the area. All of them were surprised to see the extent of it and then turned to see him sitting against the tree.

"Tom!" Kenta exclaimed as he hurried over to him.

Corey and Burgh walked over and could tell that Tom was experiencing shock from the battle. They squatted down in front of him and Corey waved a hand in front of Tom's eyes. When he didn't respond, Kenta tried getting his attention by saying his name again.

"Tom, talk to me man. What happened?" Kenta said as he put a hand on his shoulder.

Tom said nothing and only shook his head as a response.

* * *

**And that's the chapter. Good lord that took a lot longer to write than I anticipated, but then again, I didn't want to take time to break this up into more parts as we've been in Nacrene City for too long. Next chapter the group faces Lenora for their next badge. I will try to update again either later this week or sometime next week. At this time, I have story shout outs, a personal question and the character popularity results under here. See you next time. -CaptainPrice**

**Battle Record: W/L/D (Wins/Losses/Draws) (A lot of these battles were won in this chapter because the grunts are weak, so everyone's battle record improved except for Tom's who only battled once)**

**Tom: 5:2:2 (Only battled Langdon and lost. Old record was 5:1:2)**

**Kenta: 8:2:0 (Split the grunts with Burgh and tag battled against Pierce winning. Old record was 5:2:0)**

**Corey: 9:1:1 (Battled all 6 grunts of Liam's group and Liam himself winning each fight. Old record was 2:1:1)**

**Elliott: 7:3:0 (Split grunts with Vanessa and tag battled against Melanie winning. Old record was 3:3:0)**

**Vanessa: 7:1:0 (Split grunts with Elliott and tag battled against Melanie winning. Old record was 3:1:0)**

**Question: Does Tom seem Mary Sueish? Reason I had one person tell me he seemed like that, but no one else has said anything. Personally I put him through the litmus test and he scored a solid non sue for everything that applied to him and what would happen to him later. I'm just curious.**

**Character Popularity Results for Rise to the Challenge: "Who is your favorite character and their Pokémon for the story Rise to the Challenge?"**

**Here are the results. I'm sad to say that some voters were biased as all the votes don't add up to a solid number. Voters could vote up to four characters and there were 18 voters, making it 72 tallies total, but I only counted 52. I was honestly surprised with the outcome as I expected it to be different. I'll show my predictions first and then the true results.**

**My Predictions:**

**1.) Kenta ****2.) Langdon ****3.) Elliott ****4.) Tom ****5.) Corey ****6.) Vanessa ****7.) Eri ****8.) Pierce ****9.) Liam 1****0.) Melanie ****11.) Indigo ****12.) Trent**

**True Results:**

**1st) Tom Sandbourne (Raichu (Sparks), Typhlosion (Sully), Lucario, Snivy) 10 votes/19%**

**2nd) Vanessa Blake (Glaceon (Crystal), Flygon (Sora), Salamence) 8 votes/15%**

**3rd) Kenta Hammer (Jolteon (Ace), Cubone/Marrowak (Stan), Ponyta) 6 votes/11%**

**4th) Tie: Langdon (Salamence)/ Elliott Kane (Scraggy (Shade), Timburr/Gurdurr (Stronghold), Sawk (Ace) 5 votes/9%**

**5th) Tie: Corey Spina (Empoleon (Admiral), Heracross (Crusader), Walrein)/ Pierce McCarty (Houndoom (Kuno), Arcanine) 4 votes/ 7%**

**6th) Three way tie: Eri Summer (Oshawott (Pino), Pidove (Kuu)/Trent Phoenix (Serperior, Altaria)/ Liam Emmerich (Tyraniar) 3 votes/ 5%**

**7th) Indigo Galaxia (Toxicroak, Luxray) 1 vote/ 1%**

**8th) Melanie Rhouth (Herdier, Woobat) 0 votes/ 0%**

**Story Shout Outs:**

**"Red Steel Travels" by An Anon Fellow**

**A new Trainers sets out to do what they all dream. Become the best Trainer there is. But is all as it seems?**

**"One Soul Two Visages" by Tendou Souji**

**Assigned a task by the goddess of death, Reaper saw fit to exploit a loophole during a bout of nonchalance. His opportunistic mind beckoning him, he broke down the barriers between dimensions and plucked out random soul to carry out the task in his place. A discover that everything is preordained shall be reached, for the soul's identity all but shatters the thought of chance.**

**"The Pokemon World League" by The Fan Fiction Writer**

**The elite echelon of the world's trainers gather to determine the very first World Champion. Rated T for safety, expect political undertones and themes. OC's readily accepted.**


End file.
